The PSNI has been accused of “inconsistency” after it claimed the singing of an anti-Catholic anthem branded a ‘hate crime’ by a senior officer was not a criminal offence.
Concerns have been raised after the sectarian ‘No Pope of Rome’ was sung during a loyal order parade earlier this week.
The hate filled lyrics, which mock the Catholic faith, is often heard at loyalist and loyal order events.
It is understood that at least two bands played the bigoted tune, which shares the same air as Home On The Range, during a Royal Black Institution parade in Scarva, Co Down, on Tuesday.
A large crowd of loyalists can be heard singing along in footage circulated in social media.
The sectarian song includes the words “No, no Pope of Rome, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no Rosary beads, every day is the Twelfth of July”.
It also includes the anti-Catholic lines: “Oh give me a home where there’s no Pope of Rome, where there’s nothing but Protestants stay, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and flute bands play The Sash every day.”
In an interview with the Irish News earlier this year Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton branded the lyrics of the shameful chant a ‘hate crime’.
Mr Singleton said he was not familiar with the song but branded it a “hate crime” as it was described to him.
“I wouldn’t be tolerant of any singing of that nature, unfortunately it’s still a feature of our society,” he said.
“I hesitate to call it culture, because I don’t think it is.”
Despite Mr Singleton’s view the PSNI said it is “are aware of a video online” but has “not received any reports at this time”.
“Enquiries have been conducted on whether any of the actions constituted a criminal offence,” a spokeswoman said.
“No offences were identified.”
SDLP Policing Board member Colin McGrath, who had called on the PSNI to investigate the Scarva incident, has now branded the PSNI approach ‘inconsistent’.
“It seems odd that the Deputy Chief Constable is saying one thing in media interviews and then in practice the service he is deputy in charge of does something different,” he said.
“This inconsistency needs interrogated further.”
In recent weeks the PSNI has taken direct action against other sectarian and racist displays linked to the Muslim community.
A replica of a mosque placed on a loyalist bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, was burned last week as police prepared to remove it.
Prior to that a ‘Muslims not welcome’ banner was removed from a fence at a children’s playground in the village.
The Royal Black Institution was contacted.