The Protestant paramilitary organisation, the Loyalist Volunteer Force, has vowed to take revenge for the murder of its leader Billy Wright at the maximum security Maze Prison in Northern Ireland.

The threat of further violence came despite calls for calm from the Northern Ireland secretary, Mo Mowlam, and from leading loyalist politicians.

The BBC's Dennis Murray in Belfast: "A major lapse in security" (2' 28")

The LVF, which never backed the loyalist ceasefire, pledged that the death of Wright, who was reported to have been shot by members of the Irish National Liberation Army, would not be "in vain".

It warned: "The LVF will widen its theatre of operations in the coming weeks." It said Wright was a "loyal son of Ulster whose bravery and dedication will never be forgotten."

Wright: Shot several times

The threat came as a number of LVF members had been allowed out of prison for a 10-day Christmas parole period.

Following the shooting, some prisoners surrendered to prison staff without a struggle and were arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Two guns were recovered, and three men were being questioned about the shooting.

Political reaction to the murder has been swift. Both republican and loyalist leaders have called for calm and have appealed for no retaliation.

The shooting comes at a time of heightened tension over lack of progress in multi-party peace talks on Northern Ireland.

The Prison Service said in a brief statement that an investigation as to how the weapons were brought into the jail was being carried out.

INLA inmates are being moved from the cells in H Block Six to other accommodation in the jail to enable a full scale search to be mounted.

Top security prison

Latest in a series of violent incidents at the Maze

The Maze has more than 300 inmates who are members of paramilitary groups from both sides of the sectarian divide in Nortern Ireland, making it the largest detention centre for convicted terrorists in western Europe.

They are inmates who have not yet served at least 10 years of their sentences, the key requirement for parole eligibility.
 

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