CyberUK 2023: Apology over 'offensive' Belfast safety advice
- Published
Murals along Belfast's peace walls are a highlight of many taxi tours
A security briefing document warning support staff at a cyber security event not to enter parts of Belfast or take mural tours has been withdrawn.
The advice was issued ahead of next week's CyberUK 2023 conference.
The internal document claimed black cab tours of Belfast murals are run by the IRA and that English accents are not welcome in some parts of the city.
The organisers said it was issued "in error by a contractor and contains significant factual inaccuracies".
The CyberUK 2023 conference is due to be staged in Belfast on Wednesday 19 April and Thursday 20 April.
It is organised and run by the London-based National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and has been hailed as the "UK government's flagship cyber event".
The NCSC hired contractors to help it stage the conference, including the firm Bray Leino Events.
The BBC's Nolan Show obtained a copy of an internal letter distributed on behalf of Bray Leino Events ahead of the Belfast conference.
The contractor has since acknowledged that the advice "caused offence" and has issued an apology.
'Lot of nonsense'
The letter instructed staff not to take black cab tours of Belfast's murals, claiming the tours are run by the IRA and the driver is bound to ask passengers why they are in Belfast.
It also told staff not to walk through housing estates that surround the city centre, claiming that some of them do not welcome English accents.
Taxi tours of Belfast murals are marketed to tourists as a chance to see the "biggest outdoor art gallery in the world" while learning about the history of the city, including the Troubles.
Murals have been painted in many parts of Belfast reflecting republican and loyalist culture, as well as many non-politically affiliated images.
Murals from across the political spectrum and outside it have become a tourist attraction in recent years
Several taxi tour operators objected to the security advice, complaining that the warnings could threaten their livelihoods and Belfast tourism in general.
"A lot of nonsense, I'm actually disgusted that they've actually issued that statement," said tour operator Norman Reilly.
"It's damaging for my business and other businesses and damaging for the working-class people of those communities."
Mr Reilly has been running Taxi Tours Belfast for 25 years and he is one of Northern Irelands longest-established black taxi tour guides.
The firm's website says that its drivers come from "both sides of the community" and it prefers not to allocate drivers based on religion.
"We bring people into those areas every day to educate people and the people in the communities like to see tourists coming in, because it's their story, be it one side or the other."
Mr Reilly said he would be willing to take the "big cats" from the conference on a taxi tour himself "to show them what we do" and argued the organisers should actively encourage delegates to explore Belfast.
Taxi tours of murals have become increasingly popular
'We apologise'
When asked about the claims in the letter, a spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) confirmed: "This is not an NCSC document. It was sent in error by a contractor and contains significant factual inaccuracies. The document has been withdrawn."
Bray Leino Events was also contacted by the Nolan Show and asked about the contents of the letter.
In a statement, the firm said: "Our priority is the welfare of our team, however we acknowledge some statements made in an internal document for event support staff have caused offence.
"We apologise and can confirm the document has been withdrawn."
On its website, Bray Leino Events said it was previously involved in staging CyberUK conferences over a six-year period, including the 2022 event in Wales.
A second contractor, Matrix Events, did not respond to BBC queries about the Belfast security briefing document.
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