COMMUNISTS accused Northern Ireland’s biggest parties of “sectarian point-scoring” yesterday after Tuesday night’s debate before the British general election got dirty.

During the BBC Northern Ireland debate, Sinn Fein MLA John O’Dowd attacked Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson over paramilitary endorsement for his party.

On Monday the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), an umbrella group for the paramilitary Ulster Defence Association (UDA), Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando, urged voters to back DUP and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidates in four battleground constituencies.