An attempt to murder a 41-year-old man in Northern Ireland today is believed to be the latest attack in a feud between loyalist paramilitary terror gangs, according to a senior police officer.

A man is critically ill in hospital today after he was shot in what was thought to be part of an escalating loyalist paramilitary feud.

A bitter loyalist paramilitary feud tonight erupted into new violence in a gun attack in east Belfast.