Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Alan McQuillan condemned the killing of former murder suspect William Stobie as "another dreadful murder in the run-up to Christmas".

Leading loyalist John White has said he would not be surprised if the UDA shot William Stobie.

The family of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane has expressed shock at the shooting of former murder suspect William Stobie.

Suspicion for this morning's shooting of William Stobie is centring on his former associates in the Ulster Defence Association.

William Stobie, the man who walked free from a Belfast court room three weeks ago having been accused of involvement in the killing of solicitor Pat Finucane over a decade ago, has been shot dead.