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Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson has dedicated his Assembly election success to the memory of murdered Catholic policeman Ronan Kerr.
The Democratic Unionist leader topped the poll in East Belfast in a morale boosting victory that saw Mr Robinson steer his party to its best Assembly election result.
But Mr Robinson used his speech at the count centre to honour the memory of the 25-year-old constable killed by a booby-trap bomb last month as the election campaign got under way.
Mr Kerr's family had appealed for voters to cast their ballots in support of the peace process after dissident republicans intent on derailing Stormont's power-sharing government killed the young officer.
Mr Robinson said: "I only want to say that I want to dedicate this victory to the memory of young Ronan Kerr, a young man who at 25 years of age was blown into eternity by the hands of evil men.
"But he had a vision for Northern Ireland and he wanted to serve his community.
"And in the words of his mother, she wanted to ensure that people would come out and support the way forward, peacefully, in Northern Ireland to have a united community, a shared society, that they might go forward with real opportunity and real hope."
The DUP leader added: "I therefore not only dedicate the victory to Ronan but dedicate myself to the vision that he had."
