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The Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott has hit out at people waving Irish tricolours at the Omagh election count, describing them as the "scum of Sinn Fein".

He referred to the tricolour as "the flag of a foreign nations".

He was speaking at the end of the count for the Fermanagh-South Tyrone constituency where he won a seat for his party yesterday.

The Omagh leisure centre was also the venue for the West Tyrone count.

"I see many people here with flags here, many of them flags of a foreign nation," he said.

When he was heckled by some in the crowd, he said that he would expect nothing better from "the scum of Sinn Fein".

He later added that he "would not forget" what some members of the republican movement had done.

Mr Elliott's comments have been criticised by Sinn Fein.

Successful Upper Bann candidate John O'Dowd said that Mr Elliott's comments were those of a "cornerboy" and that he lacked the skills to be a political leader.

When asked about Tom Elliott's comments, the DUP leader Peter Robinson said: "I'm pretty sure Tom is under pressure and we should give him a bit of latitude."