Two arrested after arms find

The weapons haul found at offices in Ballymoney

Two men have been arrested in connection with a weapons find in the former office of a loyalist political party in County Antrim.

The police said the men were being questioned about "serious crime".

Police officers seized a powerful machine gun and a rifle fitted with telescopic sights and silencer in the raid on Wednesday.

The Progressive Unionist Party said it had vacated the Ballymoney office in February 1999.

A booby-trap device, a stun gun, three replica weapons, a large quantity of ammunition, military-style clothing and baseball bats were also found.

David Ervine: "Building is used by a number of people"

The PUP has links to the loyalist paramilitary groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster on Thursday senior party spokesman David Ervine said there had been a great deal of confusion when the arms were found about "the status of the building".

He said it took some time for him to contact their local representative in Ballymoney.

"It was only yesterday afternoon that it became clear that the offices were vacated in February 1999.

"But what worried us, was that the RUC press officers were briefing the media that it was a Progressive Unionist Party office and if there intelligence is so substantial that they can find arms, surely should have been substantial enough to know it wasn't a PUP office.

"And it would seem to me there was a degree of spin going on yesterday," he said.

He added that the building had been used by a number of groups.

Widespread condemnation

Unionist and republican politicians said the find raised serious questions about the Progressive Unionist Party and the state of the loyalist paramilitary ceasefire.

The Democratic Unionist Party's assemblyman, Ian Paisley Junior, said people would be very concerned about the find.

"I think they will first of all welcome the fact that the police have done an excellent job in uncovering this."

Sinn Fein assembly member Gerry Kelly described the weapons find as "very worrying".

But Mr Ervine said that while his party was concerned over the arms find, the UVF ceasefire remained intact.

"There is no threat from the UVF or the Red Hand Commando in relation to their ceasefire at this time. They have been very positive towards this process and I expect that they will do nothing negative towards this process," he said.

The PUP supports the Good Friday Agreement, but it dislikes what it sees as too many concessions to republicans during the peace process.

The PUP's David Ervine and Billy Hutchinson are members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which is currently suspended.