Gun find: Three held in the North

Three men were being questioned today after a loaded machine pistol and 50 rounds of ammunition were seized in Northern Ireland.

They were detained and the haul uncovered when a car was stopped and searched by a police patrol in Derry last night, an RUC spokesman said.

The find was made at the junction of Northland Road and Eden Terrace near the centre of the city at 10.10pm.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to examine the vehicle in a clearance operation and nearby homes were evacuated for several hours until the scene was declared safe.

The men were being questioned at Gough holding centre, Armagh.