Dissidents 'targeting McGuinness'

Martin McGuiness said he will not be intimidated

A senior member of Sinn Fein has said that dissident republicans are plotting to kill him.

Chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said that the police had warned him of a "substantially increased threat" to his life.

Sinn Fein is to debate endorsing Northern Ireland's police service at an historic meeting for the party in Dublin this weekend.

The Mid-Ulster MP said that he would not be intimidated.

"Sinn Fein takes these threats seriously," he said.

"Over the past 30 years Sinn Fein elected representatives and members have been murdered and targeted by those within the British system and their surrogates.

"We did not allow those threats to deflect us from our work in bringing about Irish unity and independence and this latest threat will only serve to strengthen our resolve.

"There will (be) disappointment across the broad nationalist republican community that so-called dissident republicans are targeting the Sinn Fein leadership in this way."