Councillor Sean Hayes holds bullets he claims were sent, along with death threats, by members of the RUC. THE RUC last night rejected as “scandalous” a Sinn Fein councillor’s claims that police posted death threats and bullets to four Catholic men. The family men received the letters yesterday morning at their homes in the lower Ormeau/Markets area of Belfast. Three of the letters contained a bullet. A fourth had been sliced open at the side, before delivery, and only contained a death threat. The letters had the word ‘death’ scrawled on them and three of the envelopes also included a Luger 9 MM bullet. Councillor Sean Hayes claimed the bullets are similar to those used by the RUC. He accused officers intent on wrecking the peace process of posting the letters. Belfast based Madden and Finucane solicitors who are acting on behalf of the four men handed over the bullets and the letters to the RUC yesterday afternoon. The RUC issued a statement saying: “It is scandalous that an attempt is being made to link the RUC to such threats simply on the basis of the calibre of the bullets, which are available worldwide to law enforcement agencies”. A spokesman said police were concerned that the delay in handing over the bullets may have caused risk to people. He said: “ The mishandling of the items may deny us the possibility of gaining valuable forensic evidence.”