Farewell to arms as UVF vows an end to terrorism

Published on Thursday 3 May 2007 14:10

THE Ulster Volunteer Force today called an end to its terror campaign as it promised to put its weapons "beyond reach".

The announcement came as The Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness were set to meet Chancellor Gordon Brown in Edinburgh in their first engagement outside Northern Ireland as the leaders of the incoming power-sharing executive.

The UVF said it will assume a non-military, civilian role. It has stopped all recruitment, military training and targeting and all its active service units have been "de-activated".

Downing Street welcomed the move, adding: "We await to see it delivered in action."

Today's announcement follows a series of meetings with the Irish Republic's Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Ulster's chief constable, Sir Hugh Orde, and Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.

A statement read out by one of the UVF's founding members, convicted killer Gusty Spence, said: "We have taken the above measures in an earnest attempt to augment the return of accountable democracy to the people of Northern Ireland."

Meanwhile, in the Capital, the Democratic Unionist leader and the Sinn Fein MP were meeting the Chancellor to urge him to provide a more generous package of funds for the new devolved government.

But Stormont sources were playing down the prospects of Mr Brown signing off a radical economic package for Ulster.

"There are a number of things we want to discuss with the Chancellor," one source said.