The Sinn Féin President has said the Castlereagh break-in eight days ago was "clearly an inside job". Speaking after a meeting with the British Prime Minister in London, Gerry Adams said the break-in proved that those responsible for "blackmail, dirty tricks and a whole long list of disputed killings" were still active within the system.
He said that while Sinn Féin was prepared to be part of a Policing Board when there was a new policing system, the Castlereagh break-in showed that "Northern Ireland didn't have a new policing system". Before the meeting with Tony Blair, Mr Adams said the role of British military intelligence in the North needed to be brought to heel.
Mr Adams said that demilitarisation and policing were likely to be raised at the meeting. A Downing Street spokesman said that a possibility of an amnesty for so-called on the run prisoners was also likely to come up.
Sinn Féin's delegation visiting London this afternoon also held talks with Victor Barker, who lost his 12-year-old son James in the Omagh bombing. Mr Barker told RTÉ News that the Sinn Féin leadership should "encourage its supporters" to give information about the bombing to the Gardaí.
He said that, while he accepted that Sinn Féin had "difficulties with the PSNI", the party had now accepted that the Gardaí were the legitimate police service of the Republic of Ireland. Therefore, he said, there was no reason why the party should not encourage people to give evidence to them.
