A teenage extremist who bought an illicit firearm and planned to target Old Trafford and Manchester Arena as well as local schools has been jailed for 13 years.

Muhammad Billal, 19, from Nelson, Lancashire purchased the gun on a secret online forum and researched shooting ranges and crowded places before attempting to join the Islamic State, using the cover of a football fan travelling abroad.

He was advised to put footballers on his phone and then searched online for ‘Ronaldo wallpaper’ – a reference to the Portuguese player – in an attempt to fool the authorities while trying to leave the UK. 

However Billal was stopped at Manchester Airport on his way to Dubai, when officers examined his phone, only to find several copies of an online magazine published by ISIS as well as details of the firearm he had purchased. 

Simon Gurney KC, prosecuting, said Billal’s intention was ‘abundantly clear, he was determined to carry out that intention and came very close to doing so. He was only prevented by the intervention of the authorities’.

The Old Bailey heard that he began accessing Islamic State videos calling on their followers to ‘rise up against the infidels’ from the age of 17, spending up to five hours a day viewing material and falling asleep listening to Islamic State chants.

He looked up the leadership of the group, maps, recent attacks, ISIS wallpapers and logos and references to the executioner known as Jihadi John. He also purchased a balaclava online.

Billal went on to search for anti-Jewish imagery, ISIS in Palestine, weapons on the West Bank and ‘where do under 18 go for murder EU’.

On March 16, 2024, Billal searched for how to buy a gun, visiting websites offering guns for sale in the UK, including one called Gunstar, which described itself as ‘the UK’s leading guns marketplace.’

He browsed semi-automatic rifles, and a number of AK47s costing around £850 and, four days later, he recorded an audio message on his phone proclaiming support for Islamic State and ‘death to America’.

A few hours later he searched for ‘big dagger’ and viewed websites selling different types of hunting knives but then returned to trying to purchase firearms on a site called Gun Trader on March 25.

He began by researching military bases in the UK as a target before moving on to a college and public swimming pool in Nelson on April 12.

By July 4, Billal was searching for information about the location of primary and secondary schools in the Colne area of Lancashire.

By September 1, he was looking for crowded locations in his local area, including nightclubs, busy streets, Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly railway stations, Manchester Cathedral and the AO Arena – the site of the Manchester Arena bombing.

On September 3, Billal searched for churches using Google Maps and viewed two Catholic churches in Manchester.

He conducted similar online reconnaissance of locations on September 9, viewing the Trafford shopping centre, the Manchester Convention Centre, Old Trafford stadium, which is home to Manchester United football club, and local universities, before searching for ‘jew’ and viewing synagogues in the local area.

The searches continued on September 15, 16, and 17 and on September 30 he returned to looking at a school in Colne and, an hour later, for how many rounds of ammunition an AK-47 magazine held.

However, on October 5, Billal ‘changed his focus’ after contacting a user called Abu Sayf ar-Rumi on the Simplex Chat application who mentioned the need to encourage ‘brothers to make hijra’ (emigrate) to the Islamic State.

Billal said he had bought ‘something’ and sent a gun emoji, sending a link to a Telegram channel of an online marketplace for firearms and saying he was ‘not hundred percent sure’ it was real but was ‘waiting for delivery.’

He explained that he had spent £660 paid up front in Bitcoin with £600 cash to be paid on delivery but was also expecting to receive £500 from crypto trading.

On October 7, he messaged Rumi to discuss his travel options to Somalia, including the option of flying via Dubai to give the impression to the authorities of taking a holiday in Dubai.

The following day Billal messaged stating: ‘I think I’m ready, I got 1,367’ because the firearms dealer had given him a partial refund.

On November 7, Billal was contacted by another user on the Simplex Chat application who told him ‘don’t leave anything from Islam’ on his phone and advised him to put music and footballers on the phone and Billal then searched online for ‘Ronaldo wallpaper’ – a reference to the Portuguese footballer.

Billal was stopped at Manchester Airport on November 20, 2024, on his way to Dubai and his iPhone examined.

Four copies of an online magazine published by Islamic State called Rumiyah were identified and he was arrested and questioned but then released on bail.

However, when police examined the phone further they found details of the gun purchase and Billal was arrested again on February 11 last year.

Billal told police that he was not a violent person and had been travelling to Ethiopia on vacation for ‘some sunshine’.

He was jailed for 13 and a half years after pleading guilty to two charges of preparing acts of terrorism and four charges of possessing material useful for terrorism.

The court heard that Billal was an Italian national of Pakistani origin who moved to the UK when he was 13 but suffered from autism and became isolated, failing most of his GCSEs, dropped out of school and rarely left his room.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said he was motivated by Islamic State ideology and a desire for martyrdom and was ‘prepared to kill members of the public in the United Kingdom‘.

His change of plan was not because he had abandoned terrorism, ‘you changed route’ she said.

The court heard that even when he was released on bail, Billal immediately sought to book another flight but did not have a bank card.

Prison Officers conducting a search of Billal’s cell at HMP Wormwood Scrubs on April 16 last year found an envelope containing a drawing of an ISIS flag and handwritten content glorifying the cause of Islamic State, along with a piece of card with ‘Anjem Choudhury HMP Milton’ written on it, a reference to the jailed extremist preacher Anjem Choudary.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Chadwick, head of Counter-Terrorism Policing North West, said: ‘The offences Muhammad Billal has been convicted of are amongst the most serious charges that can be brought against an individual.

‘Our investigation into his actions has been meticulous and we have been able to gather evidence which shows a firm intent to engage in acts of terrorism.

‘Although he changed his focus from committing an act of terrorism in the UK to committing offences in another country, the level of detail he researched in preparation of an attack here shows the risk he presents to the public.’

Germany were knocked out of the World Cup by Paraguay with Julian Nagelsmann under pressure during the tournament and now he has left his role with the national team

Julian Nagelsmann has stepped down from his role in charge of the Germany national team, according to reports in the country. Jurgen Klopp is primed to take the role following speculation over his interest during the World Cup.

Germany crashed out of the World Cup in surprising circumstances as they lost to Paraguay on penalties. Nagelsmann had been expected to remain in charge until after Euro 2028.

Klopp, who has been working at the World Cup as a pundit, has already been asked whether he’d be willing to replace Nagelsmann in the aftermath of Germany’s exit.

“I understand that my name is being mentioned,” Klopp replied. “But this isn’t the moment to talk about it – and certainly not with me.”

There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story. Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.

As a result of his conviction and sentencing, Heaney was banned from being the director of a limited company for 15 years as a judge said he was “no longer a fit and proper person to be a director’

A Derry-born accountant narrowly avoided immediate custody over a six-figure tax scam.

James Joseph Heaney, 56, now of St Michael’s Close, Finchley in London, was handed a 40-month sentence suspended for three years.

He had previously pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue out of Income Tax, VAT and Corporation Tax, fraudulently claiming tax credit and fraud by false representation.

Heaney further admitted making or supplying articles for use in fraud and two counts of possessing articles in connection with fraud.

The offences were committed on dates between April 6, 2013 and November 19, 2020.

As a result of his conviction and sentencing, Heaney was banned from being the director of a limited company for 15 years as a judge said he was “no longer a fit and proper person to be a director”.

Belfast Crown Court heard that over a decade ago, Heaney, then of Spruce Meadows in Derry, was prosecuted by HM Revenue & Customs in relation to a £70,000 VAT, tax credit and mortgage fraud, codenamed ‘Operation Honeyman’.

In October 2015, he was jailed for six months for the fraud following a further six months on supervised licence on his release from custody.

The court heard that following his sentence, financial confiscation proceedings took place and he was adjudicated to owe £111,245.78p and Heaney made an arrangement with HMRC to repay the money in full.

In April 2018, Heaney paid by cheque the sum of £55,245,78p to the finance branch of the NI Courts Service.

However, within a week he contacted them to say that he had stopped the cheque and then made a further payment for the same amount to the finance branch on a debit card.

It was the prosecution case that there was suspicion around these “strange transactions” and that he had cancelled the original cheque in order to conceal the source of his funds which was a new Barclays bank account.

The prosecution believed that not only did he want to conceal this from HMRC, but he also wanted to conceal his association with Insignia Finance Ltd.

As a result of these suspicions, Operation Honeyman became Operation Hex in March 2017 and a financial investigation was started.

It revealed that Heaney was receiving payments from clients into his bank account in the name of Insignia Financial Ltd.

He was questioned about this but made no comment. The investigation continued and it “established beyond any doubt” his connection with Insignia Finance Ltd.

It also “established beyond any doubt” his criminality in relation to claiming tax credits and failing to fully account for profits he was making.

The prosecution stated: “Since James Heaney’s previous conviction under Operation Honeyman, he has failed to submit accurate details of his self employed incomes as an accountant.

“Nor has he submitted any corporation tax accounts for Insignia Financial Ltd.

“It is believed from the outset of these investigations James Heaney has been submitting false self-assessment returns for himself.

“Banking material obtained shows a regular income into his bank account and he has failed to accurately declare his income to HMRC.

“It is believed James Heaney has failed to declare income for the tax years April 2013 through to April 2019.

“The sums assessed that somewhere in around £389,850 was owed from the fraud.”

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin said that earlier this week Heaney was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the defendant was awaiting a prognosis from his consultant.

During his sentencing remarks, Judge Neil Rafferty KC said: “I am satisfied that the defendant continued the criminality after the previous detection and I have to regard that as a significant aggravating factor.”

Judge Rafferty said he noted from the pre-sentence report that Heaney’s wife of 22 year was almost totally dependent on him because of a number of debilitating health conditions.

He stated that he would also factor into his sentencing the recent MS diagnosis by the defendant.

Judge Rafferty said that “not without some degree of hesitation and some degree of hesitation”, he had decided to suspend the 40 month sentence for a period of three years.

He told Heaney: “If you commit any further offence, particularly an offence of dishonesty, you will go to jail for that offence and this sentence of 40 months will be put into operation.

“I will have no hesitation, wife or not, of sending to you to jail for as long as I can.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Aries 0904 470 1141 (65p per minute)*

Taurus 0904 470 1142 (65p per minute)*

Gemini 0904 470 1143 (65p per minute)*

Cancer 0904 470 1144 (65p per minute)*

Leo 0904 470 1145 (65p per minute)*

Virgo 0904 470 1146 (65p per minute)*

Libra 0904 470 1147 (65p per minute)*

Scorpio 0904 470 1148 (65p per minute)*

Sagittarius 0904 470 1149 (65p per minute)*

Capricorn 0904 470 1150 (65p per minute)*

Aquarius 0904 470 1151 (65p per minute)*

Pisces 0904 470 1152 (65p per minute)*

*Astro line horoscopes are updated every Thursday. Calls cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge and will last approximately five minutes. You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission. Service provided by Spoke. Customer service: 0333 202 3390

The atmosphere should be filled with hope and excitement. However, when it comes to transfers, United supporters are starting to get twitchy. The Reds wasted no time in agreeing a deal for Ederson from Atalanta before looking to replace Casemiro.

Elliot Anderson was their priority but United hit two brick walls. The England international was set on moving to Manchester City and his £116m price tag was deemed too steep. Next on the list was Mateus Fernandes. West Ham’s midfielder was more attainable but the east London club were adamant on his valuation.

United waited to see if they would budge. Eventually, West Ham didn’t have to as Tottenham Hotspur agreed to pay £85m. This has left the Reds scrambling as they prepare to return for pre-season without Casemiro’s replacement.

One of the names on United’s shortlist is Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni. He is seen as the dream signing for the Reds and, speaking to MEN Sport, LaLiga Expert editor Mark Sochon explained why.

“I think his main strengths are his physicality, [he is] tall, strong,” Sochon explained. “He is very disciplined, disciplined positionally, and, also, he’s quite a versatile player.

“He can play in a single pivot, double pivot, he’s played a fair bit at centre back as well, although I don’t think it’s necessarily his best position, but he’s absolutely useful there as sort of a back-up. I think back to his height in defending set pieces too, he’s pretty good at that as well.”

While Tchouameni would be seen as a replacement for Casemiro, Sochon considers the Frenchman to be an altogether different player.

“He’s not necessarily a player who’s going to dive into lots of challenges, but he’s strong,” he explained. “I think he’s a player maybe managers appreciate more than fans, if that makes sense. He doesn’t have those blockbuster moments, so he’s not really going to pop up with a last-minute winner or make that kind of crunching tackle in the midfield, but he’s low-key.

“I think last season was probably his best season for Real Madrid, even though it’s a poor one for the team.”

Tchouameni had a well-publicised fallout with Federico Valverde last season that left the latter heading to the hospital. But Sochon was keen to stress that the 26-year-old is no troublemaker.

“I think my response to that [incident] would be, of the two players, it’s Valverde that’s certainly being seen as a bit more hot-headed,” he said. “He had a few kind of scraps in the past as well, not with teammates that have been public, but there’s been mumblings that he’s maybe not the most popular player in the dressing room.

“So my interpretation was that was more from him than from Tchouameni. I think the final months of the season was just a bit of a disaster around Real Madrid in general.

“There was another incident, a few days before that, with a couple of players kind of having a big confrontation; it just felt like the whole squad just fell apart in the end. I don’t think Tchouameni is seen as one of the ringleader characters that needs to be moved on though.”

And therein lies the problem for United: Sochon sees little reason to believe Real would want to sell Tchouameni.

While he admits a £100m bid may be too good to refuse, Sochon thinks new head coach Jose Mourinho would ideally want to sell Eduardo Camavinga before agreeing to Tchouameni’s exit. Perhaps most worryingly for United, he adds that this pursuit reminds him of another failed transfer the Reds would hate to see a repeat of.

“I see it a bit like when they went for Frenkie de Jong a couple of summers ago,” Sochon concluded. “He’s one of those players that it’d be difficult to get, but like we talked about before, maybe the scenario where a big offer comes in and Real Madrid think, you know what, we can take £100m, we can reinvest that and we can get three or four players in soon to improve the squad.

“I think there’ll still be a few doubters amongst the fanbase as to his importance. Last season was in the context of a team that was just a bit all over the place.

“But, I think it would take a really big offer from United and then it’s on Tchouameni. I don’t know how eager he is to leave Madrid, so I think it’s a difficult deal to pull off for United.”

The last thing United need is to be dragged into another transfer saga. Who knows what the remainder of the summer will bring, but Tchouameni might be a name best scratched off the list of targets.

Manchester United are in the market for a new midfielder this summer and Michael Carrick’s squad will need bolstering before the new season arrives

Manchester United’s squad is yet to be strengthened during this summer’s transfer window. However, a swift double deal appears to be imminent.

In his second spell as interim boss, Michael Carrick has steered his former club to a top-four finish, earning himself a permanent position as a reward for his efforts. He will embark on his first pre-season as manager next week.

Ederson is expected to complete his move to United in due course, though his £35million transfer from Atalanta will only be confirmed once Brazil’s World Cup 2026 campaign concludes.

A further midfielder is anticipated to join the club. The Manchester Evening News takes a look at the very latest transfer news surrounding Old Trafford.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Double transfer

United are expected to sign Wales under-21 goalkeeper Kit Margetson from Swansea City. The 19-year-old is the son of former England goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson and a compensation fee is set to be required before bringing him to Carrington.

However, this transfer could develop into a double deal, as reports indicate that Margetson will be sent out on loan to an EFL club this summer in order to gain valuable first-team experience.

The shot-stopper joined Swansea at the under-15 level but is yet to make a senior appearance for the Welsh club. He spent a loan spell at Connah’s Quay Nomads during the 2025/26 season.

Midfield plan

Meanwhile, United’s pursuit of a top-class midfield signing continues after failing to secure either Elliot Anderson, who went to Manchester City, or Mateus Fernandes, who joined Tottenham.

Both Crystal Palace’s Wharton and Brighton’s Baleba have reportedly featured on the club’s shortlist for some time, though the pair may be overlooked in favour of an alternative target.

We understand that while Baleba attracted United’s interest last summer, there has been little progress in this window, as Brighton have refused to lower their £100m asking price despite an underwhelming campaign.

Regarding Wharton, the trail has gone even colder, with United considering the Palace midfielder too similar in style to Kobbie Mainoo to partner him effectively in a two-man midfield setup.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is now the club’s primary midfield target, while Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni has also attracted admiration for several months. Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha has a notable supporter in director of football Jason Wilcox, who previously worked with the player during his time in Manchester City’s academy. Read the full story here.

Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Various Prices

Seat Unique

Advertisement

Buy official packages at Seat Unique

Official premium experiences at Old Trafford are available now for the 26/27 Premier League season. Make it easier than ever to turn a regular fixture into something genuinely unforgettable.

A person is five times more lilely to be killed when hit by a vehicle at 30mph than at 20mph

A list of roads in Cambridge could see their speed limit reduced to 20mph. As part of a cross-Cambridge project, the new reduced speed limits are being proposed after 100 people were seriously injured across the routes over the last nine years.

The routes which are included for the new reduced limits include those which have received the most community support, as well as several known accident hotspots.

20mph limits are proposed for the following roads:

• Barton Road (from Grantchester Road to Kings Road)
• Brooklands Avenue
• Chesterton Lane
• Chesterton Road (Mitcham’s Corner to Magdalene Bridge)
• Coldhams Lane (Cromwell Road to Brook’s Road roundabout)
• Corona Road
• Croft Holme Lane (part of Mitcham’s Corner gyratory)
• East Road (and Grafton Centre service roads)
• Gonville Place
• Hills Road (Lensfield Road to Brooklands Avenue)
• Lensfield Road
• Milton Road (Mitcham’s Corner junction only)
• Newnham Road
• Northampton Street
• Queen’s Road
• Trumpington Road (Trumpington Street to Brooklands Avenue)
• Trumpington Street (Mill Lane to Trumpington Road)
• Victoria Avenue (Mitcham’s Corner junction)

A consultation is now open for locals to share their thoughts. It will run from July 1 to August 5.

Councillor Alex Beckett, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways & Transport Committee, said: “There are far too many deaths and injuries on our roads. It’s clear that 20mph limits can make a huge difference in improving safety especially for our most vulnerable road users – children.

“We’ve taken on feedback from the past engagement and have created a bespoke scheme for the city. The revised proposals focus on routes where over 100 people have suffered serious injuries since 2017 and where 20mph limits would make a big difference in keeping people safe.

“I urge everyone to let us know their thoughts on the proposals as part of this consultation so we can understand the views of local residents, businesses and community groups and then make the best decision for everyone.”

A person is around five times more likely to be killed if they are hit by a vehicle at 30mph than at 20mph. In parts of London, where 20mph speed limits have already been introduced, the number of children killed by crashes in these areas decreased by 75%. The number of children injured in crashes in these areas also reduced by half.

After the consultation, the results will be reviewed by road safety officers and councillors including the Cambridge Joint Area Committee. A decision on whether to go ahead with all, some or none of the proposals will be taken by the Highways & Transport Committee in the winter, with any changes to the roads made in early 2027.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

An 11-year-old boy crashed a truck into Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing 10 of them, officials said.

A group of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, approximately 600km northeast of Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage when the incident happened.

Five monks died at the scene, while five others died at a hospital. More than 10 were hospitalised and one remained in critical condition, according to the provincial administration.

The bodies were taken to Mukdahan Hospital as officials worked to contact relatives.

The group started the 260km walk to Ubon Ratchathani province about 30 minutes before the crash.

Fourteen additional monks were hospitalised following the collision. The boy was in custody and police have said his parents may be charged with negligence.

The crash happened at roughly 11am on the Mukdahan-Don Tan Road near Ban Na Wiang Kae in Na Si Nuan subdistrict, Mueang district. The monks had just had a meal nearby, according to reports.

Security camera footage shared by a local rescue group, Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association, shows the monks walking in a single line on the side of a road before the truck crashes into them.

Map of the Mukdahan province:

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. However, police stated that monks present at the scene reported seeing the vehicle lose balance before it veered off the road and collided with the group.

Local reporting says Pol Col Prayut Rueanthongkham, superintendent of Mueang Mukdahan Police Station, was alerted by local residents that a vehicle had hit monks walking on a pilgrimage. Rescue workers from Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue, the Mukdahan Charity Foundation, Mukdahan Hospital and police were sent to the scene.

At the scene, officers found several injured monks by the roadside. Nearby was the suspected vehicle, a bronze Isuzu single-cab pickup truck.

Early reports say the pickup had been taken from the boy’s family home without permission.

Updates as we have them

Green Party votes have pushed through a decision to erect Irish and English dual language street signs at unionist parts of two North Belfast streets.

At the full monthly meeting of Belfast City Council on Wednesday, a committee decision to place Irish/English street signs only at nationalist parts of Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road was reversed, as the Green Party became kingmakers in the full chamber. Both streets passed the required 15 percent occupier threshold for dual language signage to be erected.

Last month the council’s People and Communities Committee made decisions on so-called “long roads” on whether they should receive dual language signage along the full lengths of those streets, or at sections where it would be deemed “appropriate.”

READ MORE: DUP accuse Sinn Féin of “mental gymnastics” over Irish dual language street signs

READ MORE: Ban on rogue lockboxes being considered by Belfast City Council to stop party houses and clutter

On Oldpark Road, the committee unanimously decided to place Irish and English dual language street signs at “suitable” parts of the street. Donegall Park Avenue proved to be the most controversial, and on a tight vote pushed through by the DUP and Alliance, the committee decided to place Irish and English dual language street signs again only at certain “suitable” parts, that is, at nationalist sections of the street.

A decision on a third street, Skegoneill Avenue, was deferred until August.

However, at the full council meeting this week, the decisions on Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road were reversed. A Sinn Féin proposal for both streets to receive signage along their full lengths received 31 votes in favour from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Green Party and People Before Profit, to 25 votes against, from the DUP, Alliance, the UUP and TUV.

A Green Party proposal to erect Irish English signage at two streets in West Belfast, Caffrey Avenue and Glenwood View, was successful despite neither meeting the 15 percent threshold. On a vote 31 were in favour of the proposal, from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Green Party and People Before Profit, while 25 voted against, from the DUP, Alliance, the UUP and TUV.

A Sinn Féin proposal to erect Irish English signage at Pilot Street, which did not reach the 15 percent threshold and received one objector, failed, with 28 votes in favour from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, and People Before Profit, to 29 votes against, from the DUP, Alliance, the UUP, TUV and the Green Party

Donegall Park Avenue, from the Antrim Road to the Castle Gardens junction, is considered a nationalist area, while Castle Gardens to the Shore Road would be considered a unionist area. In the survey for Donegall Park Avenue 74 occupiers, that is 36.10 percent of all occupiers in the whole street, were in favour of the erection of a second street name plate. 53 occupiers, that is 25.85 percent, were not in favour of the erection of a second street name plate. Over a third of the street did not reply.

At Oldpark Road, those sections at the top, from the junction of Ballysillan Road, and at the bottom, from the junction with Crumlin Road, are considered unionist areas, while the central section known as the “Bone” is considered nationalist. In the survey for Oldpark Road 136 occupiers, that is 17.99 percent of all occupiers in the whole street, were in favour of the erection of a second street name plate.

58 occupiers, that is 7.67 percent, were not in favour of the erection of a second street name plate. Five occupiers, 0.66 percent, had no preference either way, and the rest did not reply to the survey. Almost three quarters of the street did not reply.

The council’s dual language street sign policy states: “Consideration will be given to “long streets” where opinion on whether to have a second language street sign may differ between readily identifiable, substantial lengths of the street. In these circumstances, the decision as to the erection of dual language nameplates in certain portions of the street will be made by the committee, exercising its residual discretion and taking into account advice from officers.”

At the full council meeting this week, Sinn Féin Councillor Tomás Ó’Néill proposed erecting Irish and English dual language street signs for the full length of Donegall Park Avenue and Oldpark Road. He further proposed that Pilot street in the Sailortown area receive Irish English street signs, despite not meeting the 15 percent threshold, by using “discretionary” powers.

92 surveys were distributed at Pilot Street. There were 10 replies, nine of which were in favour, one in opposition, that amounts to 9.78 percent of the street in totality showing support for the new dual language signage.

Councillor Ó’Néill said: “Provision of these signs creates the opportunity for greater cultural linguistic diversity, and for people to engage with other languages and other cultures. If we continue to shy away into our own communities, it is in these dark holes where (negative) views are fostered.”

DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said in reference to Donegall Park Avenue: “If this proposal is carried tonight, I believe it will be a profoundly unwise decision. I fear it risks damaging community relations and creating entirely avoidable tension, in what is today a settled community.”

He added: “Anyone who knows Donegall Park Avenue knows it is exactly the type of street this policy was designed for. It is a long street, it is not homogenous, there are clearly identifiable sections with different views.”

He said: “I know the area well. The consultation demonstrated opinion differed markedly between the upper and lower sections of the avenue. Anyone that knows that avenue knows there is a vast difference, in terms of the desire for the Irish language at the top and the bottom.

“The sensible compromise is to provide signage where it is wanted, and not impose it where it is clearly not wanted. That respects both communities, it reflects the reality on the ground, and most importantly it is entirely consistent with the policy.”

Green party Councillor Áine Groogan said: “I think it is incredibly problematic to say that the Irish language is okay in certain parts of a street, but not okay elsewhere. It creates an incredibly dangerous precedent.”

She said: “I don’t understand where we start drawing a line between what is a long street, and what isn’t a long street, and how we divide it. That for me creates a lot more problems than just normalising and promoting the language for what it is.”

She said: “We need to put this beyond politics, and beyond designating an area as one community or another community. We are trying to get beyond that, and that is why the most logical and simplest approach is whenever a street in its entirety meets the policy threshold (to erect signage).”

Councillor Groogan proposed erecting Irish English dual language signage at Caffrey Avenue of the Glen Road in West Belfast, and Glenwood View, near Stewartstown Road in West Belfast. Both streets did not meet the threshold of 15 percent, but neither had any objections in the surveys. She said the Greens would not support new signage at Pilot Street, stating that the party’s approach to date was to use discretionary powers only when there is no opposition in the surveys.

Caffrey Avenue saw 162 surveys, of which there were only 24 replies, all in favour of Irish English signage. That amounted to 14.81 percent. Glenwood View saw 54 surveys, of which there were only seven replies, all in favour of Irish English signage That amounted to 12.96 percent.

DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said at the meeting: “I am sick of talking about this every single month. But there is no consistency from the parties opposite. Every month they come up with a new way to try to rewrite the policies that they agreed, that they wrote, and that we didn’t agree to. Now they have decided they want to push even more at the unionist community.”

She proposed all the decisions at the People and Communities Committee in June, where it was decided new signage would only be placed in “appropriate” areas, to be ratified. This did not go to a vote after the successful Sinn Féin and Green Party proposals.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.