HEARTS have issued an apology after a picture of a notorious loyalist killer was displayed on their stadium’s big screen.
The Tynecastle club have launched an internal probe after the snap of UDA member Michael Stone was displayed during birthday messages before Saturday night’s clash with Celtic.
The snap, beamed to thousands of fans, showed Stone leaving a prison gate along with the words: “My mate Michaels first game in years, here’s a old photo of him coming through the turnstiles.”
A club insider said that the Gorgie outfit always posts messages during matches and this time they were “deliberately” targeted.
They said: “Every week there are birthday messages posted on the big screen.
“It is impossible for the club to know if the pictures are genuine or not.
“In this case it appears that someone deliberately targeted that game and used a picture of Stone.
“It is quite childish really.”
Stone is one of the most notorious killers of the Troubles.
Originally a member of a street gang in Braniel estate before being associated with the UDA and Red Hand Commando, Stone was well known in loyalist circles as a gun for hire.
He first hit the headlines in March 1988 after launching a gun and bomb attack in the Milltown cemetery in west Belfast, killing three people.
His targets were mourners at the funerals of three IRA members shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar.
He was sent to the Maze prison for three counts of murder before being released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Once inside the prison, he became one of the five leaders of the ‘Ulster Freedom Fighters’ prisoners.
In November 2006 he carried out a foiled attack on Stormont which he claimed was ‘performance art’.
After the attack he was charged with the attempted murder of Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
More recently, he has made headlines for his artistic endeavours which started while he was in prison, with one of his paintings recently fetching £4,500 in an eBay bid before the sale was cut off.
A spokesperson for Hearts said: “Our fans’ social service was abused by someone online, leading to an image appearing on the stadium’s big screens, and we apologise for any offence caused.
“We will review our procedures internally to ensure this type of misuse is not repeated.”
Celtic won the match 4-1.
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