AN Irish republican group has been prevented from marching through a town following police concerns over a clash with the Old Firm derby and a “high risk” of disruption to the local community.

Organisers of the event had planned to hold a human-rights march through Clydebank on September 10 — starting two hours after the first Scottish Premiership fixture between Rangers and Celtic kicks off.

The Independent Republican Bands Scotland were confident of gaining approval from police after being granted permission by councillors to stage a march against “anti-Irish racism” through Bellshill two weeks ago.

But Police Scotland said they viewed the Clydebank event as high risk and officers would be called up to police the Old Firm fixture at Celtic Park which starts at noon. Officers would also be needed for a Scottish Championship game between Dumbarton and Hibernian at 3pm.

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.

Police told local councillors that a "significant section of the proposed route is through predominately residential areas of Clydebank" in contravention of a West Dunbartonshire Council code of conduct on public processions which says organisers should ensure where possible that they follow main roads and not go through housing developments.

Glasgow Times:

Councillors who refused permission were told in a report that IRBS had been asked to follow a route away from communities and along main roads but refused to enter into discussions over alternatives that did not include marching along Second Avenue.

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

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

That march was 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.

Glasgow City Council’s public procession committee told the organisers that they can hold the march on September 3, despite organisers, saying the date was non-negotiable.

It declined permission for the August 7 march after police said that if the parade takes place on that day “there would be a high risk to public safety, a high risk of public disorder and a high risk of disruption to the life of the community”.

They said that due to other competing events of the day, including two Glasgow Scottish Premiership matches at Ibrox and Firhill, and four other processions, one of which was expected to draw 3000 supporters, they would have to draw police resources from other local authority areas.

Glasgow Times:

Police Scotland also 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 the march two weeks ago, believing there are no legal grounds to refuse it.

In west Dunbartonshire, police said there was a "low risk" to public safety or public order from the IRBS march planned for Clydebank.

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

The Clydebank route proposed began at Morar Road, and moved onto Kilbowie Road, Second Avenue Park Road, Duntocher Road,Dumbarton Road, Agamemnon Street, before ending at Cable Depot Road.

Councillors were told that previous IRBS marches in May, 2014 and 2015 taking in much of the latest route passed off peacefully after a "robust police operation" was put in place.

A procession in June went ahead with "only a minor incident" when an egg was thrown towards the parade from the general direction of Kilbowie Court flats.

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesman said: "The application was rejected on the grounds that the route was unsuitable as it passed through a residential area contrary to our local licensing policy. We will continue to determine all applications on their own merits.”