A SON of DUP minister Edwin Poots has claimed he attended a parade glorifying two notorious loyalist kill-ers after happening upon it while returning from a church service.

Luke Poots, pictured, a DUP councillor in Lisburn, said he was dropping friends home after a service in south Belfast on Thursday night when he strayed into a memorial service for UDA members Joe Bratty and Raymond Elder.

"I was on my way back from church," he told The Irish News yesterday.

"I go to a local church out there. I was just driving back. We were dropping a few friends off.

"I can't tell you what the parade was doing. You will have to speak to the party. I'm working today so I can't speak."

A witness said Mr Poots spent at least an hour standing within yards of the memorial at Candahar Street, off Ormeau Road.

He chatted to people amicably and was present when a banner celebrating Bratty and Elder was placed against the memorial.

Men at the parade were dressed in paramilitary-style clothing. A banner honouring UDA commander John Gregg was also present.

The memorial has attracted significant criticism after The Irish News revealed that it was built with an £11,000 Housing Executive grant. The organisation apologised yesterday for any upset caused by its support for the memorial.

Mr Poots was co-opted onto Lisburn council in March last year and elected to the new Lisburn and Castlereagh council in May.

In other developments:

* police have been criticised over their handling of the loyalist parade through a mixed area

* the memorial is to be investigated for a possible breach of planning laws

* police are investigating residents' complaints that bandsmen urinated in their gardens.

? Full reports ? P4,5 ? Editorial ? P18

* MURDERERS: A banner commemorating UDA members Joe Bratty and Raymond Elder