UVF denies owning weapons cache

Billy Hutchinson has represented the UVF at decommissioning talks

The UVF has denied owning more than 70 weapons discovered by police in a house in a loyalist area of north Belfast.

The guns were seized by officers investigating the death of a man believed to have taken his own life in the Ballysillan area at the weekend.

The arms find has been linked to the UVF which announced last year that it was putting its weapons beyond reach.

Senior UVF sources said the weapons and about 10,000 rounds of ammunition did not belong to the organisation.

BBC Northern Ireland security correspondent Vincent Kearney said UVF sources were adamant that the weapons did not belong to the organisation.

PUP member Billy Hutchinson, who has represented the UVF at meetings with the international decommissioning body, said he was "confident the guns would not be traced to the UVF".

"I think there has been enough soul-searching, enough investigation going on to ensure that nobody was connected to his man," he said.

"My understanding is that he ran some sort of combat company. I think that's where the police should be looking."

Following the search of the man's house, more guns were seized from a nearby lock-up premises.

All the weapons were removed for examination and police inquiries.

Senior UDA sources said the weapons did not belong to them.