Ulster tensions grow as bullet is posted to mayor and workers are threatened

Tensions in Northern Ireland were further heightened yesterday with reports of threats to health and postal workers and the disclosure that a bullet had been sent to the Sinn Fein lord mayor of Belfast.

In one incident, the teenage son of a man who had both legs amputated after a loyalist attack lost a hand in what his mother described as a tragic accident. He was reportedly experimenting with fireworks.

Alex Maskey, the lord mayor of Belfast, said he had received a bullet in the post on Friday morning, hours before he addressed a rally against sectarianism and violence.

Mr Maskey, who has survived several loyalist attempts to kill him, said he would not be intimidated. He added: "It is important to highlight the sectarian problem. It certainly will not distract me from doing what I know what I have to do as a civic leader."

Meanwhile, workers at three Belfast hospitals are to stage a protest today after threats were made to managers and staff. Emergency talks were held after a group styling itself the "Catholic Reaction" Force said it would kill three members of staff who had links to the security forces if they turned up for work.

The chief executive of the Royal Victoria Hospital, William McKee, said the threats would not affect the morale of staff at the hospital, adding: "Staff know how to respond to this situation and support each other. I am confident that morale will not be severely affected."

Several thousand people took part in an anti-sectarian rally in Londonderry in response to last week's killing of David Caldwell, a construction worker, by the Real IRA.

Also in Londonderry, postal workers voted to return to work yesterday at the end of an emergency meeting called to discuss an alleged threat against a colleague. They received a statement from a loyalist organisation, which convinced a majority of staff that they should restart deliveries.