Assembly candidate arrested in connection with murder attempt

A candidate in the North's Assembly elections was tonight being questioned about the attempted murder of a soldier more than 25 years ago.

Gerry McGeough, 46, an independent republican and former IRA prisoner was arrested in a town centre car park in Omagh, Co Tyrone.

Mr McGeough, a fierce critic of the current Sinn Féin political strategy, was standing Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency. He was taken to a police serious crime suite in Antrim.

Detectives were to question him in connection with an attempt to assassinate a part-time Ulster Defence Regiment officer in 1981, security sources revealed.

The soldier was ambushed by two men after being called to an isolated farmhouse in the Co Tyrone area. He was shot a number of times, but managed to return fire and injure one of the terrorists.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police have arrested a 46-year-old man in connection with serious terrorist crime."