DUP: 'Britain planning to scrap RIR'

The Democratic Unionist Party has accused the British government of devising plans to disband the British army’s Royal Irish Regiments within the next five years.

The DUP claimed yesterday that the plans for a phased disbandment of the Northern-based regiment by 2008 were at an advanced stage.

The party claimed the mainly-Protestant regiment was being sacrificed in return for IRA disarmament.

The British government has denied the claims.