The Celtic League has claimed that nationalists have been hounded by police with those wearing T-shirts with pro-independence slogans being stopped.

It has released an account of a man who says he was stopped by police at Ballacraine, St John's, as he tried to hitch a lift home after a Christmas party.

He is quoted as saying: 'I was asked what I had in my pockets, where I'd been and where I was going. They offered me a lift home but this turned out to be an excuse to further their questioning. Had I heard of the movement? What did I think of it? Did I have any ID? What was my date of birth and address?

'I asked them to drop me off in Peel town centre but they insisted upon dropping me at my front door and watched me walk through it.'

Bernard Moffatt, director of information for the League, said: 'We need a community police force — we don't want a colonial police force.'

But acting deputy chief constable Paul Cubbon said: 'We are not trying to victimise people. There is no way we want to suppress nationalist feeling. Everyone has the right to voice their opinions but they should do it through the right medium.

'Spraying graffiti on walls is a criminal offence and we have a duty to investigate. At Christmas we had several incidents of paint being sprayed on walls and roads in the early hours of the morning..

'It is common police practice to speak to people out and about in early hours in suspicious circumstances.'

Mr Moffatt pointed out that he had condemned the graffiti campaign at this year's Illiam Dhone commemorations.

During the graffiti campaign, the names of former British colonies and their dates of independence were sprayed on walls around the Island.

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YOUR COMMENTS

I fully agree with Mr Moffatt about needing a Community Police Force. Having been at a function one evening a year or so ago, it was a really cold but fine clear night so I made the 3.5 mile walk home in the early hours of the morning having left the car at home. Whilst walking along Peel Road on the pavement opposite the Milestone garage, a police van drove across the road, stopped - facing the wrong way up the road and started questioning me as to where I was going, where I had been and who I was. Why they felt the need to come tearing across the carriageway like some emergency I really don't know. It was rather intimidating and high handed, especially as there was two of them and one of me. Had I have told them to mind their own business I'm sure that they would have found a reason to put me in the van - because that is how they operate. I don't accept the old excuse that 'we are just being vigilant', there is a difference between that and just being a general nuisance to the public. Now had I been carrying a toolkit or a set of ladders I could have excused them for being curious but being in a dinner jacket is not exactly going suitably dressed for crime. As far as I'm aware only James Bond can jump in and out of windows and off buildings without damaging the suit. Was one person on Peel Road an easy target rather than dealing with the goings on in central town, people urinating in shop doorways, drug dealing under car parks, fighting, vandalising and causing a general disturbance to people in nearby apartments? Obviously everyone out at night or someone who wears a nationalist t-shirt is a criminal and should be stopped and questioned? The Manx Force do seem to have an insatiable hunger to have too much power in order to run people's lives using 'public safety' as an excuse. The powers need to be appropriate and proportional to the needs of the Isle of Man, not some suburb of London.
JUAN TURNER MLC

I do hope that Mr Turner's unfortunate experience 12 or so months ago does not taint the overall public perception of the good service that the Manx police offer. In my experience, the bobby's on the beat that I have witnessed have been there for the protection of the public, rather than for feeding some form of gratification associated with the exercise of power over another or others. I would welcome being stopped by the police in the early hours (regardless of my attire, be it a black and white striped top and swag bag, or suited and booted) as I would feel that at least they are interested to know what is happening and that all is in order; this is a basic fundamental of policing I would assume?
ANDY TALBOT

Unfortunately Andy, members of my family have suffered the same as Juan. My son was stopped in the early hours last year and arrested for alleged urinating in a shop doorway. A vigilant member of the public spotted the culprit and gave a description to the police. My son who was wearing a completely different set of clothes to that described was still arrested despite the fact he was nowhere near the scene and actually walking some distance in the opposite direction. When that wouldn't fly, they charged him with being drunk in a public place even though he was walking home on his own minding his own business. There is a section of this police force on the island with their own sinister agendas.
PEEJAY

So Juan and Peejay you basically want a police force full of namby pamby political correct officers? I take it next time you get assaulted or have your house burgled you wont bother calling the police. Police officers are supposed to ask questions and if you are wandering around at 3am on Peel Road next to industrial estates that have been burgled you will get stopped and asked what you are up to. If it was me I would be asking why I wasnt spoken to. PEEJAY were you there the night your son got arrested? if not then perhaps he told you a bunch of porkies I take it when he went to court he pleaded not guilty as the evidence against him was insufficient
JT