Patrols stepped up in bid to quell loyalist turf war

WELL over 100 police officers and soldiers have been assigned to try and calm a violent loyalist paramilitary feud in Belfast.

Hitting out at the drug dealers behind the developing shooting war that has left one man dead, PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde yesterday issued a contemptuous response to allegations that the security services were plotting with one of the terrorist factions.

Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine, whose party is linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), claimed police were colluding with the rival Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF).

But after talks with the Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and his security minister Ian Pearson, Mr Orde challenged the PUP chief by declaring: “He needs to put up or shut up. If he’s got evidence we have an independent, vigorous investigator of complaints against police.”

The Chief Constable met the Secretary of State as the authorities attempted to quell heightening tensions on the streets of Belfast following the UVF’s murder of a senior LVF man.

Brian Stewart, 34, was gunned down in the east of the city last week. Since then, several bomb attacks and shooting incidents have been linked to the escalating dispute between the bitterly opposed organisations.

As he pledged to stop the gunmen wreaking terror in their communities, Mr Orde disclosed that patrols have been stepped up and Army units brought in to cope with the violence.

He said: “Over 100 officers would be deployed in this operation.”

Mr Pearson emerged from the meeting in Belfast to describe the attacks as unacceptable loyalist violence against their own people.

“Whatever these groups call themselves, they are criminal gangs engaged in a range of criminal activities fighting a sordid turf war,” the minister said.

Mr Pearson also rejected claims that the British Government was involved in any collusion with the LVF.

“I don’t believe this to be true in any way, shape or form,” he insisted.

“If anyone has evidence they should bring it to the police ombudsman, we have nothing to hide.”

Since the weekend, eight people have been forced to flee their homes in the Belfast area as the threat levels rise. Some of those who were declared homeless were put up in a five-star city centre hotel.

But although the violence shows no sign of ending, Mr Orde stressed it had not reached the levels of the last loyalist conflict in Belfast 18 months ago, which left five men dead.

“This is a turf war between criminal gangs who are actively targeting their own community.

“These are drug peddlers selling drugs to the community in which they operate and we are determined to fix it,” he said.

“Much of it is a power play around organised crime. I don’t think these people are much more sophisticated than that, they may hide behind some loyalist principles but these are people who are determined to make money by exploiting their own communities.

“This goes back to some murders, in my view, some time ago which was around drugs territory.”

The Chief Constable had investigated allegations of collusion between terrorists and the security forces in the North before taking on his current role.

Mr Orde added: “I think people need to remember the world has moved on.

“There has been acceptance, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and myself have said in the past we are clear collusion took place but we are talking about decades ago.

“Special Branch, one could say, is under new management.

“They have provided the intelligence and information that have led to all the seizures around the LVF in recent history. The suggestion we are colluding is, in my view, almost laughable.”