Gerry Adams disappointed

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister said they believe the deadlock in the North over policing can be broken by June.

The two leaders said progress had been made after 13 hours of talks at Hillsborough yesterday.

First Minister David Trimble agreed, although Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said he was disappointed with the two governments' statement.

Mr Trimble was less dismissive of the IRA's re-engagement with the decommissioning body than earlier in the day, promising a positive response if real progress was made on disarming.

However, Gerry Adams said the failure of the two governments to challenge David Trimble's sanctions against Sinn Fein's two Stormont ministers 'unacceptable'.

He said his party was prepared to trust Mr Trimble, but that the UUP must realise Sinn Fein would not and could not force the IRA to disarm on British government or Ulster Unionist terms.