Donaldson claims British involvement in phone tap

Dissident UUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson today claimed the British Government was tapping his phone because of his opposition to the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Donaldson said he had been told by senior RUC sources that the bugging was being carried out by army intelligence and that others opposed to the Agreement were probably being monitored as well.

He said the practice had been going on since 1999, when the first meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council was held to decide whether to enter government with Sinn Fein.

"Apparently the purpose of this surveillance was to try to second guess the tactics being used by those senior party members at the UUC," he said.

He added that he had taken up the issue with the British Home Office, but that the Northern Ireland Office had "refused to comment".