Two loyalist supergrasses were interviewed 330 times by police before their evidence was used in a trial, the North's justice minister said today.

Loyalist leader Mark Haddock was cleared today of the murder of paramilitary rival Tommy English 12 years ago.

A convicted loyalist terrorist who is testifying for the Crown in one of the North's largest ever paramilitary trials has admitted to being a life long alcoholic, with a drugs habit who fled the region with money stolen from his parents.