A Co Derry charity shop has said it has closed due to a "threat" that followed social media comment on reports of a woman sleeping in the shop doorway.
The Kindness of Strangers shop in Limavady announced its closure in two statements published on social media over recent days.
The statements refer to an incident where a woman was found "lying on the doorway" of the charity shop. They also hit out at what the shop described as "false statements on social media" about the incident.
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The PSNI, meanwhile, has confirmed it responded to a "concern for safety" report regarding a woman sleeping in the charity shop doorway on Friday morning.
In an initial statement published on social media site Facebook at the weekend, the Kindness of Strangers shop in Limavady said: "In light of recent events and social media posts telling us to leave Limavady we have given our letting agent notice that we will be closing our Kindness of Strangers shop and vacating our premises at 18 Linenhall Street, Limavady."
And on Monday, a spokesperson for the shop said: "Following on from, and in response to, the last few day’s events our staff and volunteers have experienced every emotion you can think of – sadness because of the false statements on social media about our treatment of a woman sleeping in the doorway of our shop – tears when we received two days to leave Limavady and gratitude to the hundreds of people who have messaged and called us."
The spokesperson continued: "We have been advised that the threat we received has come from an individual in the community and not from any group.
"We have made contact with the Police and have provided a statement and evidence of the threat we received. We have to say that the Police treated us very well and with the utmost care and professionalism. We do not hold any ill-feeling towards anyone, and we would ask that no one else does either.
"We do not want the woman who was lying in our doorway to be treated badly because of all that has gone on, nor do we want any more drama."
In the initial statement announcing the charity shop's closure, the spokesperson addressed social media comment about the woman found in the shop doorway.
"we feel the need to set the record straight regarding comments and false statements about our treatment of a woman sleeping in the doorway of our shop," the statement read. "On the 4th December 2024 we receive a message at 8am about a woman in the doorway of our shop. When we arrive to the shop the Police are there. We don’t get involved because we have no clue what is going on. However, from what we can see the Police are dealing with it.
A short time later the woman leaves the doorway of the shop and we don’t see her for the remainder of the day. At around 7pm the same evening we get another message telling us of a woman lying on the doorway of our shop. We get in a van and go to the shop."
The statement continues: "We advise the woman that she cannot sleep in the doorway, not because we were moving her on, but because it isn’t safe. We advise the woman that there is a bar two doors down and that we would be fearful of something bad happening to her. The woman tells us that she is fine where she is and tells us to mind our own business. We tell the woman that we will pay for a bed and breakfast and reiterate that it is not safe for her to be lying out on the street on her own. The woman declines our offer tells us to go away."
The spokesperson added: "The following morning (Thursday 5th December 2024) two women are outside speaking to the woman who had been lying in our doorway. One lady asks us if we can help. We advise the lady that we have offered to help and that we have just given the woman the number and address of the Housing Executive in Limavady. We also advise that we have spoken to EK Properties [an estate agent in Limavady] and that they have offered the woman accommodation free of charge and left the front door of a house open if the woman wants it.
"The following morning (Friday 6th December 2024) we make a 999 call in relation to several incidents. In response to these incidents we make the decision to put the shutter down of our shop. At no stage ever over the space of the two days did we touch, interfere with or move this woman’s belongings. The woman was asked by the Police to lift her belongings which she did by moving them further up the street and taking other belongings with her."
Asked about the threat referred to by Kindness of Strangers, and the woman sleeping in the doorway of the charity shop, a PSNI spokesperson said: "Police attended a concern for safety of a woman in Linen Hall Street, Limavady on Friday morning, December 6th. No further police action was required."
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