Loyalists urged to hand over all arms

LOYALIST paramilitaries faced new demands last night to hand over all their pipe bombs.

Even though the Ulster Defence Association in west Belfast dumped a consignment of explosives, nationalist politicians urged them to end a campaign of bombings which has terrified thousands of Catholics.

SDLP East Derry MLA John Dallat called on the terror organisation to give up its arsenal of weapons.

He said: "This would bring some reassurance to the countless Catholic families, particularly across the north coast, who have been the victims of a sustained campaign over several years.

"Last night's welcome move should not be a cosmetic exercise to improve the UDA's shattered image in the Shankill, but the beginning of the end of all paramilitary violence from every terror group."

Tests are being carried out on the 14 pipe bombs and four fireworks which were left for police at playing fields near the Shankill area of Belfast, where loyalist factions have been involved in a bitter feud. The UDA claimed the dumping of the pipe bombs was part of a major drive to restore order following a violent feud with rogue UDA boss Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and his supporters.

In a statement, the UDA said: "We took this action to eradicate pipe bombs from our community as part of the ongoing steps to stabilise and normalise loyalist west Belfast." But nationalist politicians last night called for further moves to signal an end to the organisation's use of the lethal devices. Sinn Féin Mid-Ulster MLA John Kelly dismissed the move as a public relations exercise carried out for internal reasons.

"I would call for the UDA to stop using these devices altogether, but I am not very hopeful," he said.

"On the night before these devices were abandoned, a home belonging to an associate of Johnny Adair in Magherafelt was pipe-bombed, so it seems as if the internal feud is spreading out to rural areas from Belfast rather than being resolved."

The devices and component parts similar to those used in hundreds of attacks on Catholic homes were put in bags and transported to the drop-off point last night. Loyalist sources have insisted this was not an act of decommissioning, claiming that General John de Chastelain's international disarmament group was not involved to oversee the move.

But it is the first time the UDA has handed over any of its weapons used in a campaign of violence both against Catholics and in feuds with other loyalists.

Meanwhile, arsonists set fire to a Catholic church on the outskirts of south Belfast yesterday. Flammable liquid was poured into the rear porch of St Colman's church at Queensway, Dunmurry and ignited.