Ulster Unionist Party Leader Mike Nesbitt has called on Gerry Kelly to apologise for the offensive tweet he made in which he made light of the Maze Escape in 1983, in which a prison officer died and 19 others were injured.

Mr Nesbitt said:

"Gerry Kelly’s tweet will be regarded by some as poor taste and by many others as deeply offensive.

“The twenty prison officers who were injured in the escape and their families certainly won’t regard Gerry Kelly’s comments as light-hearted in any way. Thirteen officers were kicked and beaten, four were stabbed, two shot and of course James Ferris died after suffering a heart attack. Gerry Kelly may find this funny, I don’t.

“Gerry Kelly’s comments are further proof – not that any is needed – that the Maze was entirely the wrong location for a peace building and reconciliation centre.

“It was the Ulster Unionist Party that led the fight against the shrine at the Maze and it was the Ulster Unionist Party that fought to force the OFMdFM to release detailed market research into public attitudes to the so-called Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Centre (PbCRC) and a Marketing Strategy & Plan.

“The previously confidential information obtained by the Ulster Unionist Party proved that the DUP were considering plans to link the proposed “Peace Centre” at the Maze with the retained prison buildings, and encourage schools to take children as young as six to visit the site, including the prison hospital where Bobby Sands died.

“Gerry Kelly’s attitude to the Maze is further vindication of our stance to oppose the building of a peace centre at the Maze. We make no apology for that. But one is certainly due from Gerry Kelly.

“Can Mr Kelly explain how tweets like his build peace and help reconciliation?”