On Friday afternoon, Foster maintained a distance from the media in a private room at the count centre, with two members of security guarding the door.

 Other parties and candidates milled around the count centre, using the facilities while Foster hid away in a conference room. 

When Foster and Maurice Morrow eventually left the room for the first time, it caused a scurry of photographers and journalists. 

Many people expressed their disappointment about the ‘special treatment’ afforded the former First Minister, calling for everyone to be treated equal.

Chairman of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Mary Garrity was unaware of the arrangement, and acted swiftly to have Foster evacuated. 

“As chair of the council People were asking ‘why has Arlene got special treatment?’ but we did not give her special treatment. We are all equal here and nobody needs preferential treatment. When it was brought to my attention, I addressed it as best I could, and quite swiftly after that Arlene was down in the counting hall, and out of the room,” said Mary Garrity.

The chairman of the council believes, that the outcome of the election was the “result of Arlene’s antics over the past while”.

“I do not know if she is happy with the outcome of this election. There aer a lot of people who were MLAs last May, who are not MLAs today and I think they will have to go home and ask themselves some questions. 

“Maybe she needed this room to herself, to ask questions among themselves, because if I was anything to do with that party they would have serious answers to get for all members of the party,” concluded Garrity.

The DUP have been contacted for comment but did not respond at time of going to press.