THE PSNI are expected to launch an investigation into a protest in Newtownbutler on the morning of the Twelfth after the Parades Commission confirmed they received no official notification that it was to take place.

An application for permission to stage a protest in the village had originally been submitted by the local Residents' Group, however this was later withdrawn.

The protest went ahead on the morning of July 12, whilst Orange band and lodge members were on parade.

But the Parades Commission say they received no official renewed notification, meaning it was not issued with the necessary permission to go ahead.

It is understood the Residents Group had made efforts to withdraw their cancellation for the protest, however this was not recognised as an official notification.

The issue was raised at the recent Fermanagh DPP meeting by Ulster Unionist Erne East councillor, Harold Andrews.

He said a constituent had contacted him in relation to the protest.

"Around 50 protesters stood at almost arms length of band members and orange men and young members of the band felt intimidated," he told the meeting, questioning the legality of the protest.

Area Commander Chief Inspector Sue Steen said she was not aware of any official complaint being made to the PSNI - a comment which was contested by Mr Andrews.

She did however concede that the PSNI were looking into the protest's legality.

"We are aware that on the morning of July 12 there was a protest in Newtownbutler," she said, "We have contacted the Parades Commission and await a response regarding the legislation of that protest, but have not received a response as yet." But Chairman of the Newtownbutler Residents Association, Thomas O'Reilly, says the Parades Commission were informed the protest was to go ahead, stating he had been personally involved in filling in the form for permission.

During the DPP meeting he refuted Mr Andrews' claims that it had been illegal.

"Can I say for the benefit of this meeting that the protest was filed for and it was not illegal at all," he said, "It is important to get facts straight. The protest was filed for, it was submitted to the Parades Commission and people were given permission to go up and make that protest on the main street.

"I would like to make sure the press are very clear on that because over the last couple of parades in July there have been some inaccuracies reported and whoever is putting these inaccuracies forward needs to be sure before putting them out to the public.

"If those inaccuracies go out there it doesn't help the situation to make progress in Newtownbutler. There may be no agreement reached on parades in Newtownbutler but there is still a tremendous amount of community work being done there and if we continue to try to score points against one another with inaccurate information it's not doing anybody any good." A spokesperson for the Parades Commission told the Impartial Reporter that permission had previously been applied for and withdrawn.

"It is a matter for the PSNI and the PPS to determine the illegality or otherwise of protests," they said.

Mr O'Reilly says the Orange band's application for a review on the parade route left little time to act in response.

He explained: "The notification was put in, but a decision was later made that there would be no protest because the band parade was to take place outside of the village as it were. I spoke to a Parades Commission representative who asked me what we wanted to do and we decided to withdraw - I thought there was no point in having (the notification) sitting there. Then, 15 minutes later they rang back to say the band had put in for a review (of the parade route) and we then decided to cancel the cancellation as it were. We put in another email to say we were cancelling the cancellation on the protest. The Parades Commission have got both emails of notification for the protest."