Durkan opposes greater role for British intelligence agencies

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said his party will not accept any moves to give British intelligence agencies a greater role in policing in the North following the suspension of the power-sharing Executive.

Mr Durkan warned that any move to transfer powers from the PSNI to the British army or MI5 would be dangerous and would undermine progress in the area of police accountability.

"The securocrats are alarmed by the success of the Policing Board and the Police Ombudsman in reworking intelligence policing," he said.

"They could use Sinn Fein's slogan [Disband Special Branch] as a guise to hand it over to MI5. That would undermine Patten. Worse, it would give intelligence policing over to those most involved in collusion."

The SDLP leader demanded an end to all British army intelligence gathering in the North and said MI5 should also be denied any increased involvement.