NORTHERN IRELAND’S Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster was widely ridiculed yesterday after making the bizarre claim that there had never been a hard border in Ireland.

The reactionary politician was speaking in London ahead of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s crushing defeat in the House of Commons over her Brexit deal when she said: “As someone who lived through the Troubles, we never had a hard border.”

Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard rounded on her remarks and shared a picture of a fortified border post from the Troubles era, operated by British soliders.

“What absolute nonsense; I’m guessing she never attempted to cross the border then?!” he said.

Fellow MP Francie Molloy said: “Obviously Arlene was living in cloud cuckoo land during the Troubles.

“It was a very dangerous border and an unsafe border and families went through hardship crossing the border for years.

“Young Aidan McAnespie was unarmed when he was shot by the British army at the border in Aughnacloy.”

South Armagh Sinn Fein MLA Megan Fearon said: “I’m gobsmacked by what she came out with. It’s completely divorced from reality.”

Ms Foster’s “grossly inaccurate” claim came as she argued against the need for a backstop for the Irish border in Brexit negotiations.