McCartneys say IRA has readmitted murder suspect

The family of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney has claimed the IRA has allowed one the men it expelled over his role in the murder back into its ranks.

The IRA expelled three members who they say were involved in the killing of the Short Strand father of two outside a Belfast bar. But now the McCartney family claim that one of them has been allowed to rejoin the IRA ranks.

Paula McCartney accused the IRA of contradicting itself.

"They have admitted that this person was indeed a criminal, they expelled him from their ranks because he was a criminal and now he's been brought back in again," she said.