Ellie Evans, 25, carried the sign during the pride march through the streets of Belfast last August, in protest at the DUP’s extreme opposition to same-sex marriage.

Police received two complaints related to the sign, including one from DUP assembly member Jim Wells, who called the DUP to investigate it as a ‘hate crime’ and told the Guardian that the slogan constituted “incitement to hatred and potential public disorder.”

The PSNI sent a file to PPS (Public Prosecution Service) after the complaints, and Evans was questioned by police.

When the DUP questioned Evans in October 2017 she told them: “How many people have the PSNI arrested here for the burning of effigies of nationalist politicians or flags of that tradition on loyalist bonfires? I just can’t believe they have referred this to the PPS. I just thought it would be a laugh.”

However, this week the PPS said that after examining the case, it has decided not to take the matter any further.

“We have carefully considered all of the available evidence in this case and it has been concluded that the test for prosecution is not met,” said a PPS spokesperson.

“Two potential public order offences were considered in relation to the incident. However, it was concluded that there was insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction for an offence under Article 9 of the Public Order (NI) Order 1987 because the message was not directed towards a group of persons defined by religious belief, disability, race, sexual orientation, colour, nationality or ethnicity.”

Irish News reports that in November 2017, the PSNI dropped a probe into similar ‘Fuck the DUP’ placards at an abortion rally in Belfast, saying that organisers had shown co-operation and “no further police action was deemed necessary”.