Adams denies alleged IRA abduction

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has attacked those he says are trying to use an alleged IRA abduction on Friday evening to damage the peace process.

Police are still questioning six men after a dissident republican was found in the back of a van in Belfast City Centre.

PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde says he has no doubt the mainstream IRA was involved.

UUP leader David Trimble has called on republicans had to make their position plain after the IRA was accused of involvement.

DUP leader Ian Paisley is demanding a statement from the British government on the status of the IRA ceasefire.

But speaking in Dunloy, Co Antrim this afternoon, Gerry Adams said the police have made similar claims before which had proven to be false.

Last October, he said, he had reiterated Sinn Féin's commitment to peaceful politics and this remained his position.

He asked if others valued Sinn Féin's efforts to bring an end to physical force republicanism.

If they stuck to the old agenda they would undermine the peace process, he said.