Now is time to decommission, Reid tells IRA

John Reid has made his strongest appeal yet to the IRA and loyalist groups to get rid of their weapons.

The Ulster Secretary says arms decommissioning by Northern Ireland's paramilitaries would be met with a generous response from the Government.

Dr Reid urged all sides to show courage and move politics in the province into a new era.

He claims common ground had been developed on arms issues in recent days, with positive public statements from David Trimble and Martin McGuinness.

"Now we need to build on it, and urgently," he said.

"To do so will take courage on all sides. It will mean facing real challenges," he added.

"I want to say to the paramilitaries: If you are able to do what the people of Northern Ireland want so desperately - to put arms beyond use - then the response from this Government won't be grudging or ungenerous."

The republicans have until Thursday midnight to decommission and prevent the collapse of the power-sharing government.

There has been mounting speculation that a gesture by the IRA on its weapons dumps is close.