Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has received another death threat, the third such warning against him and family in the space of a month.
Kelly was visited by police at his home late on Tuesday night with a message saying there would be a bomb attack on his house in the next few days.
It is unclear who issued the latest death threat, however the last two came from loyalists.
The last telephone call warning, believed to have been made from a phone box in Ballyclare, said: ‘Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly is going to be shot within the next 48 hours. Orange Volunteers. No surrender.’
"I was in bed actually and at about 1am the police came to the house with another threat and said there was going to be a bomb attack against the house in the next few days. They didn't say who it was from. The last two were from loyalists and no code-word was given,” said Gerry.
"This is my third threat so there is certainly an upsurge in threats. Gerry Adams got one, as did Caitríona Ruane. There is some group of people out there, getting upset and throwing these threats out and we have to take them seriously.
"It's hard to imagine what's in their heads especially after the UDA decommissioning statement. Maybe it's because we're close to South East Antrim, I'm just not sure.
"I've been doing a lot of media over the last week or more. They're seeing me more in the media, maybe that's what has triggered it."
The North Belfast MLA also said police had received a call saying a grenade had been thrown at his Antrim Road constituency office as well as the party's offices in Andersonstown. However after examination both premises were found clear.
"I've always been careful about how I work, you have to represent people and I won't let them stop me from talking to people on the unionist side.
"We are in a new place, and we are in a middle of negotiations at the moment. We will pursue that with as much vigour as we can, there is work to be done and these people won't deflect us from doing that."
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