Arlene Foster selfie row: PSNI 'considering' probe into AK-47 photo

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has written to the Chief Constable asking for an investigation into a photograph posted online by the young woman.

She is reportedly the same young woman who made headlines last week when she posted a video selfie of herself chanting ‘Oo, ah, up the RA’ with former DUP leader Arlene Foster.

The incident caused many headlines and a look of shock on Mrs Foster's face - her father was badly injured by the IRA on his border farm and her school bus was blown up by an IRA bomb when she was a teenager.

The Sunday Life claimed to have unearthed a photograph of the young woman from her social media account, posing with a weapon which was described by the newspaper as a “replica AK47”.

Mr Robinson asked whether or how it has been established that the weapon pictured is a replica.

"Whilst the item in question may be a replica, there was no accompanying evidence included as to why the newspaper was satisfied that it was indeed a replica," he said.

"The PSNI should interview [this woman] about the providence of this weapon, the circumstances by which she came into contact with it, and its whereabouts today. Replica weapons may not be able to fire ammunition, but it does not mean they cannot be used to cause harm."

Mr Robinson said that before he published his press statement on Monday, he wrote to the Chief Constable to ask for an investigation.

He said that as the party's spokesman for Justice and Home Affairs, he asked the PSNI to investigate two issues.

"Firstly to my mind, this [social media post] constitutes glorification of terrorism contrary to section 1 of the 2006 Terrorism Act," he said.

The second issue was "whether indeed the weapon in the photograph was a replica, a deactivated weapon or a fully functional firearm".

A PSNI spokeswoman responded: "We can confirm this matter has been raised with the Police Service and is currently being considered."