Moygashel polling station appeals rejected

The Electoral Commission has backed a decision by the chief electoral officer to switch polling from a County Tyrone primary school to other venues.

After loyalist protests in 2014 at Howard Primary School in Moygashel, polling was moved to two other places.

The move to stop using the school was challenged by the DUP and the UUP but supported by Sinn Féin.

On Wednesday, the Electoral Commission, the independent watchdog, rejected those appeals and backed the switch.

During the European and council elections in May 2014, a group of loyalists held a protest outside Howard Primary School.

Observers from the Electoral Commission were at the school and raised concerns about what they described as a hostile environment.

Polling for May's general election was moved to Dungannon Leisure Centre and Roan St Patrick's Primary School in Eglish.

A spokesman for the commission said the move was made "so as to meet electors' reasonable requirements".

However, the commission added that the chief electoral officer, Graham Shields, should ensure that a number of measures are carried out to ensure improved accessibility to Dungannon Leisure Centre for voters.

The DUP's Lord Morrow, who was one of those to appeal the decision, criticised the Electoral Commission.

"The PSNI assessment states the new polling place is actually more difficult to police," he said.

"Other polling stations have had shooting incidents and rioting yet they were subjected to no sanction by the Electoral Office. The commission simply buries its head on this matter."

The other appellant, Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott said: "I cannot express enough, my disappointment at this decision.

"There are large numbers of elderly people in the Moygashel and Coolhill areas of Dungannon who relied upon Howard Primary School on election day."