Northern Ireland: terror fears

The UK security services believe that the threat of terror in Northern Ireland is growing, it has emerged. MI5 is picking up more suspicious activity from dissident republicans than any other group in the UK or Ireland, including radical Islamists. Up to 60 per cent of the security services' phonetaps and other electronic intercepts are focussed on republican groups.

Un-named security sources told a newspaper that as many as 80 hardcore dissidents may be plotting terrorist attacks, that the Real IRA and Continutiy IRA plan to kill a Catholic police officer in the near future, and that they may also target prison officers.

The sources are also concerned that policing in Northern Ireland is so overstretched that officers with anti-terror experience are being transferred away to rural areas, leaving the police ill-prepared to respond to any future terrorism.

Sir Hugh Orde, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, told the Guardianthat the threat of terror was"as high as it has been in my time in the service". He added:"Significant efforts are ongoing to tackle the threat."