Paramilitary activity widespread, says Orde

LOYALIST and republican paramilitaries carried out more than 100 punishment beatings and shootings in the last year, the North’s Chief Constable Hugh Orde claimed yesterday.

Even though the republican terrorist organisation is supposed to be on ceasefire, the chief constable told a policing board meeting in Belfast they were matching loyalists levels of brutality.

“I have attributed over 50 punishment beatings and shootings to the UDA and I would probably put a similar number of these on the provisional IRA.”