Nationalist residents groups cast doubt today over their involvement in a conference on the Northern Ireland parades issue after two of their leading spokesmen received death threats from a renegade loyalist group.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission was due to announce today if it will overturn a ban on an Orange Order march through a nationalist area of Portadown.

The Northern Ireland Parades Commission today put on hold a decision whether or not to overturn a ban on this Sunday’s Drumcree Orange march.

Garvaghy Road Residents spokesman Breandan Mac Cionnaith claimed the Parades Commission had no other option but to ban Sunday’s Orange march.