Sinn Fein’s offices at Stormont were raided today as part of a major police investigation into the IRA in Belfast.

The British government must vigorously defend the Good Friday Agreement from the “serial vandalism” of unionist politicians, nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan claimed today.

Urgent measures to save the Northern Ireland peace process from collapse began today after David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists threatened to quit the power-sharing government.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said tonight he wanted to see rival factions within his party unite around a common position as tension mounted in the run-up to a crucial meeting of the UUP’s ruling executive.

The IRA has rejected a proposal that an auditor should be appointed to monitor paramilitary ceasefires in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams agreed to hold head-to-head talks today in an attempt to deal with the crisis in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Northern Ireland Assembly members were today preparing to debate the state of the IRA ceasefire in the wake of allegations that the republican terror group is still targeting senior politicians.

Elements within the security forces are trying to undermine the peace process by alleging that republicans were behind last month’s break-in at a top security Belfast police station, it was claimed today.

Police are still holding six people in the North in relation to the Castlereagh break-in last month.

The investigation into a break-in in Northern Ireland’s highest security police station took a dramatic twist today as police arrested six people during raids on homes in republican areas of Belfast and Derry.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan is due to meet Northern Secretary John Reid today to discuss policing in the North.

Ronnie Flanagan has given the biggest hint yet that he believes the raid in which documents were taken from Special Branch offices in Belfast was an inside job.

The Government has reacted to the break-in at Castlereagh Police Station in Belfast.

A number of police informers in the North have reportedly been told that their lives could be at risk following the break-in at Castlereagh police station in Belfast on Sunday night.

A major investigation was launched today after a gang burst into an anti-terror unit at a Belfast police station and assaulted and tied up an officer.