RSF party will not be recognised

Party is fielding six candidates

Republican Sinn Fein will not be recognised as a political party by the electoral authorities overseeing next month's assembly election.

The party broke away from Gerry Adams's Sinn Fein in the 1980s.

The party says that if elected, its six candidates will not take their seats at Stormont.

However, they will be treated as independents on the ballot paper as they have not registered with the Electoral Commission in Belfast.