Statement by TUV party secretary Ann McClure:
“This is yet another report from the Police Ombudsman which is seriously lacking in balance. One might have hoped that she would have learned from the recent High Court judgement which should have called time on her desire to always play to the anti-police gallery but clearly not. Then of course the Ombudsman would have resigned in light of that judgement. She didn’t and is still delivering ridiculous findings which attempt to blacken the good name of the RUC.
“The facts of this case are stark. Colum Marks was a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation and actively involved in a terrorist act when he was thankfully neutralised by a brave RUC officer.
“There is no dispute about the fact that Marks – had he not been shot – would have been involved in a mortar attack which was designed to result in murder.
“No finding by the discredited Ombudsman should be permitted to obscure the reality driven home simply by restating the facts of the case.”