Adams calls for fresh elections if deal cannot be reached

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has called on the British government to call fresh Assembly elections in the North if the impasse on restoring devolved government continues until the end of this month.

Speaking in Belfast today, Mr Adams said Sinn Féin was prepared to reach a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, but it appeared the DUP did not want to reciprocate.

He said there was no sign that unionists were "prepared to accept reality and people on both sides of the border could not wait forever for the DUP to come into the fold".

Mr Adams said the people of the North deserved elections to express their views on the situation if no deal could be reached in the coming weeks.