Messenger in court regarding 'IRA spy scandal'

A former government messenger was today due in court after being charged by detectives probing a suspected IRA spy operation in the Northern Ireland Office.

As two hardline ministers prepared to quit the power-sharing cabinet at Stormont over the allegations, west Belfast man William Mackessy, 44, faces two counts of having documents likely to be of use to terrorists.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is also set to come under fierce pressure to eject Sinn Féin from the Executive during crisis talks with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble at Downing Street.

Mr Trimble is expected to warn Mr Blair he has until Thursday to order Sinn Féin out of the Stormont administration.

But hardline Democratic Unionist ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds were leaving their posts today, in a move designed to heighten pressure on the UUP chief – who is also Northern Ireland First Minister – to pull his ministers out of government.

Mr Mackessy, from Ligoniel, was expected to appear before magistrates in the city after being charged last night.

He is the third person charged following the dramatic police raids on Sinn Féin offices at Parliament Buildings and homes in the north and west of the city.

Another man arrested by police is still being questioned.

Mr Mackessy had been working at the Northern Ireland Office in the grounds of Stormont as a messenger until last year.

Sinn Féin’s administration chief Denis Donaldson, 52, and a woman, Fiona Farrelly, have both been remanded after appearing at a special court on similar charges on Sunday.

Earlier yesterday Northern Ireland’s chief constable issued an apology for the manner in which the raids were carried out last Friday.

Hugh Orde admitted it had been an operational blunder to use up to 19 of his officers dressed in riot gear and two plainclothes detectives in a public swoop on the Sinn Féin offices.

He insisted the investigation was fully justified but he admitted the raid could have been done more sensitively.