Sinn Fein 'finds second bug'

The device Sinn Fein say they found in offices

Sinn Fein has put on display another bug it claims was found in one of its headquarters in west Belfast.

According to the party, the listening device was found in a floor at Connolly House in Andersonstown on Monday night.

Last week, Sinn Fein put on display another bug which it said had been found at the Belfast home of a woman who works for party president Gerry Adams.

It comes as Northern Ireland political parties finalise their positions for this week's intensive political talks at Leeds Castle in Kent.

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Northern Ireland conflict

It is understood the latest device was found while work was being carried out at Connolly House.

According to the party, the seven-section listening device had two microphones - one directed at an office, the other at a meeting room.

Mr Adams said the discovery highlighted the "hypocrisy of the British system" and blamed what he called "securocrats".

"The device was constructed so that it could listen to conversations upstairs and in the conference room downstairs.

"While republicans always work on the presumption that these devices exist, the use of this very sophisticated bug is a very serious act of bad faith by the British government.

"It highlights the continuing hypocrisy of a British system which uses its enormous resources to 'spy' on its political opponents.

We don't comment on such matters Downing Street spokesman

"It is also evidence of the 'war mentality' among the securocrats who run the NIO and whose only engagement with the peace process is to subvert and undermine it.

"The question of course is who authorised this and how many more of these exist."

He said the Sinn Fein delegation would bring the device to Leeds Castle to Prime Minister Tony Blair to seek an explanation from him.

Political institutions

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "We don't comment on such matters.

"As for the coming talks, they are about the issues which the prime minister identified two years ago - decommissioning, an end to paramilitarism and a complete commitment to power-sharing."

The party has been at the centre of bugging allegations a number of times before.

Mr Adams said in December 1999 that one was planted in a car used to transport himself and chief negotiator Martin McGuinness during the Mitchell Review.

In April 2003, the Times newspaper published what were said to be transcripts of secretly recorded telephone conversations between Mr McGuinness and senior government officials.

The political institutions in Northern Ireland were suspended in October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering at the Northern Ireland Office.

The talks at Leeds Castle are aimed at finding a way to restore devolution to Northern Ireland.