EU condemns threats against border staff in Northern Ireland

The European Commission on Tuesday condemned threats of violence against port officials in Northern Ireland, which have prompted authorities to suspend checks on animal products at ports in Belfast and Larne.

Graffiti recently appeared in the Larne area, 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Belfast, describing port staff as "targets".

Staff have also reported suspicious behavior such as people writing down license plate numbers.

The new checks come after the UK left the EU's economic structures at the end of 2020.

As per the UK-EU settlement, there are checks between the bloc and Britain, including on British goods going to Northern Ireland.

European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer on Tuesday said that EU authorities were in contact with counterparts in the UK "both from a security perspective and from the perspective of the implementation of the withdrawal agreement".

Politicians in Britain and Northern Ireland have also condemned the threats.

(Image Credit: AP)