Arlene Foster in the private room at Omagh leisure centre, its entrance manned by two security men. Picture by Mark Marlow/pacemaker press

Avoiding questions from the assembled media, Arlene Foster and the DUP kept themselves locked away in a private room with security at the Omagh election count.

The Fermanagh South Tyrone and West Tyrone DUP party group spent the majority of the afternoon at the count in a meeting room on the second floor of the Omagh Leisure Centre.

The special room was strictly private with two security men guarding the door and the blinds of the windows drawn.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council chair Mary Garrity hit out at the “special treatment” and said she was never consulted.

“It is not appropriate, it is not necessary,” she said.

“We have MPs from other parties, former MLAs from other parties , dignitaries coming in and they aren't being given special treatment and no one should be.”

Mrs Garrity, a local SDLP councillor, tried to gain access to the room, but was refused, along with the Irish News.

“I asked could I gain access to this room and the answer was no,” she said.

“There's no need for this unless there's something that I haven’t been told about or there's something underlying. People all over this building that are of the same profile, from different sections of the community and backgrounds, they’re not in special rooms and this should not be the case,” Mrs Garrity added.

The party later vacated the room as the account moved into the evening at the Omagh Leisure Centre.