The statement was made by Cllr Sam Cole during a meeting of Coleraine Borough Council as it considered the minutes of November's Leisure and Environment Committee meeting.

Members were discussing the laying of wreathes on Remembrance Day when Cllr Adrian McQuillan (DUP) drew attention to the destruction and removal of wreathes laid at Kilrea. He claimed this had happened on two occasions.

Cllr Olive Church (UUP) echoed his remarks and expressed her disgust about the incident and also about recent grafitti attack at St Patrick's Church of Ireland church hall in the town.

Kilrea councillor John Dallat (SDLP) condemned both incidents. He said the people of the town, Catholic and Protestant, support each other but no one supported people who bring the town into disrepute.

Cllr Cole caused a stir when he joined the debate. He said that the town was becoming the "sectarian capital" of the Coleraine area and appealed to Sinn Fein to encourage people with information to come forward.

He went on to say that had there been a Sinn Fein or SDLP representation at the Remembrance Day event it may have "defused the situation" and the attitude of "attacking anything British".

He also criticised the effectiveness of the new CCTV system and the PSNI in dealing with the problems.

Cllr Billy Leonard (SF) told the meeting that Cllr Cole's accusation was "misguided and sad" and that it was a mistake to "confuse sectarianism and vandalism".

He went on to say that anyone he had talked to did not agree with what had happened and called on Cllr Cole to withdraw his remark.

The incidents had been carried out by "faceless, gutless people with no respect for anybody", said Cllr Sandy Gilkinson (DUP) while Ald David McClarty (UUP) said the comment had been "misguided". He said: "It only takes one person to cause damage. We should not colour our attitude to any community."

In reply Cllr Dallat said he was "gutted" by Cllr Cole's remarks. He said Kilrea is "not a sectarian town" and the people who did the damage had no connection with any political party.

He suggested that Cllr Cole should "think hard" and that he should withdraw his remark.

Chairing the meeting, the mayor, Cllr David Barbour (UUP), cautioned members not to label any action as being from one community or the other.

Cllr Cole then said that during the troubles Kilrea had been the most bombed town in the Borough. It was now in a continual state of sectarian attack and people were leaving the town because of that.

He said that sectarianism was a problem in Kilrea and that it needed to be tackled head on.