The men were travelling in a white Mercedes Vito van (similar to this one) when they were stopped by the guards at Bridgend.
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15 Mar 2026
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15 Mar 2026
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Victims' campaigner Jon McCourt.
The awarding of the Freedom of the City to institutional abuse campaigner Jon McCourt is set to go ahead.
Councillors voted to grant the council's award to Mr McCourt in July. However unionist councillors used a council mechanism called a call-in to ask for the decision to be reviewed.
Mr McCourt is one of the north's most high-profile campaigners for victims of historical institutional abuse, and formed the campaign group Survivors North West, and has also worked with victims of the Troubles through Derry's Peace and Reconciliation Group.
Mr McCourt, a former Official IRA member, turned down an MBE earlier this year, stating: “As an Irishman and particularly as a Derry man I could not with any integrity and conscience accept an MBE”.
Councillors discussed the issue of the call-in at Wednesday's full council meeting in the Guildhall.
DUP councillor Niree McMorris said the party felt "further discussion was needed to make an informed decision".
Alderman McMorris said the issue should have been discussed in a workshop for councillors to make an @informed decision”.
"This wasn't anything personal about Jon McCourt or anybody else whose name may, or will be in the future put forward," she told the meeting.
UUP councillor Derek Hussey said he queried the process of conferring the award at the time.
People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin, who originally proposed the motion, said the decision to award Mr McCourt should be upheld.
The SDLP's Brian Tierney said his party would be voting to uphold the original decision and added that it was “extremely unfortunate” that councillors were discussing the matter again.
“I find it incredibly hard to understand and get my head around how people can agree with a process for one person and disagree with the same process about another person and then say it's not about that person.
“It just doesn't add for me,” Cllr Tierney said.
Sinn Féin councillor Emma McGinley said her party would be supporting the motion and that the original process had been followed properly.
The proposal was carried, with 30 councillors voting for, five against and two abstaining.
The council will now fix a date for the Freedom of the City award ceremony to take place.
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