DUP: Six-week delay was pre-agreed with Downing St

DUP sources in the North are claiming they had a pre-arranged deal with Downing Street over their refusal to meet tomorrow's deadline on devolution.

If true, the claim is politically damaging to the Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, who insisted right up to the last moment that the date was written in stone.

Mr Hain has signed the order restoring power to the Stormont assembly from midnight, but says direct rule will be re-imposed from midnight on Monday unless the DUP and Sinn Féin can agree by then on the six-week delay demanded by Ian Paisley's party.

There are differing signals from republicans with the South Belfast assemblyman Alex Maskey saying any delay is unacceptable but the party's MP for Newry/Armagh Conor Murphy was not ruling it out completely.

The DUP now say their proposed six-week delay was agreed in advance during talks at Downing Street on Friday.