AN Irish republican group has had a third parade in a Dunbartonshire town banned in the space of six weeks following concerns over a "high risk" of community disruption.

The Independent Republican Bands Scotland, which have has faced a string of failed attempts to march through Scots towns, were prevented from marching for similar reasons previously.

The force raised worries that the new march planned for October 1 at 2pm was going through predominately residential areas of Clydebank in "direct contravention" of the council's code of conduct over public processions.

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The code stipulates that the organiser shall ensure that, wherever possible, proposed routes follow main roads and do not go through residential housing developments.

Councillors who prohibited the new march were told in a report that IRBS having been asked to consider a route away from communities, were unwilling to consider diverting it away from the Second Avenue residential area.

The Herald:

The council says it is the sixth time IRBS has been refused permission for a march in the last year because they keep wanting to parade in residential areas.

A council spokesman said: “The application was rejected on the grounds that the route was unsuitable as it passed through six residential streets contrary to our [code].

"The convener of the licensing committee [Lawrence O'Neil reiterated to the applicant that the committee will continue to determine all applications on their own merits taking into account the [code]."

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Councillors were told that the authority has dealt with the loyalist Orange Lodge in a similar way.

The Loyal Orange Lodge 2000, Clydebank Protestant Martyrs planned a march for March 15, 2014, to commemorate the World War II Blitz in the town and included a short wreath laying ceremony at the Clydebank Town Hall.

The march route was considered "excessive" and a compromise was agreed.

But councillors were told that this did cause disruption to local residents and future parades involving the group kept to a main thoroughfare.

IRBS has previously pointed out that the organisation had held other parades in Glasgow and other local authority areas without any public disorder.

And councillors were told that in July one of their Clydebank parades passed off without incident facilitated by an appropriate policing plan.

Regimental Blues that has made a string of objections about the Republican group's marches and objected to the latest has said it was "delighted" by the decision.

The human rights march was planned for September 10, starting starting two hours after the first Scottish Premiership fixture between Rangers and Celtic kicked off.

But local councillors prohibited the march after Police Scotland said they viewed the Clydebank event as high risk and were concerned officers would be needed to police the Old Firm fixture at Celtic Park.

The force raised worries that as the march was going through residential areas of Clydebank it would carry a high risk of disruption to the community.

In early August, South Lanarkshire council issued a rare banning order to stop an IRBS march from taking place in Rutherglen because of public safety concerns raised by police.

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Around the same time Glasgow City Council declined permission for a parade on August 7 after police claimed it would carry a “clear potential” for serious disorder and violence.

Those marches were organised to mark the 45th anniversary of the introduction of the Special Powers Act to introduce internment without trial in Northern Ireland for those suspected of being involved in violence.

Police Scotland highlighted an IRBS anti-internment parade in September, 2014, which was halted on Castlemilk Drive, Glasgow in the interests of public safety. Police made 12 arrests.

But North Lanarkshire councillors, who in February were at the centre of controversy over plans to fly the national flag of the Irish Republic above council buildings to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, took a different view over a Bellshill march in mid-August, believing there are no legal grounds to refuse it.

But police also pointed out that they felt the Clydebank march was "low risk". It also said that there was a low risk to public safety and public order.