No money for UDA guns: churchman

The UDA is believed to have put a small number of weapons beyond use

The head of the Methodist Church has said the UDA must not be given any financial incentive to decommission.

The UDA is understood to have asked the government for millions of pounds and prisoner releases before it will decommission all of its weapons.

The paramilitary group wants the cash to be used for funding of projects in loyalist areas.

"The act of decommissioning should not be dependent on financial return," said Rev Donald P Kerr.

"Last week, along with many others in Northern Ireland and beyond, I warmly welcomed the news that Loyalist paramilitary groups had decommissioned their weapons.

"It is therefore disappointing to learn that this act of decommissioning has not been completed by all the loyalist groupings.

"But this should not be dependent on either financial return or the release of people convicted and sentenced subsequent to the Good Friday Agreement."

Statement

After the government said no to the UDA's demands, it is believed to have agreed to put a only small number of weapons beyond use earlier this week.

General John de Chastelain, the head of the international decommissioning body, is expected to make a statement within days confirming that loyalist decommissioning has taken place.

The other main loyalist group, the UVF, is known to have engaged in what is described as "a comprehensive and hugely significant act" - which means the organisation may have destroyed all of its weapons.

A smaller loyalist group, the Red Hand Commando, is also believed to have put most of its weapons beyond use.