Northern Secretary Peter Hain has declared that the UVF is no longer on ceasefire as Orange Order leaders gather in Belfast today to respond to claims that they bore a major responsibility for triggering loyalist violence.
Peter Hain: the UVF is nolonger onceasefire
From midnight last night Mr Hain "specified" the Ulster Volunteer Force and its sister organisation, the Red Hand Commando, which means, he ruled, that they had breached their cessations.
There was more violence in Lisburn and Belfast overnight as police came under attack from petrol bombers.
Six petrol bombs were thrown at police in Lisburn and a police officer suffered minor injuries. Two large drums full of petrol were recovered.
In west Belfast, officers in vehicles outside New Barnsley police station came under sustained attack and were targeted with petrol bombs and blast bombs.
A woman escaped injury when a pipe bomb device was thrown at a house in Carrickfergus in the early hours. The police are looking for a motive for the attack but it comes at a time of heighthened sectarian attacks on Catholics in Co Antrim.
He took his decision because of the UVF's involvement in the disturbances during and after the controversial Orange Order Whiterock parade on Saturday and because of the organisation's killing of four people since July in the UVF-LVF feud.
"There is no change to the status of other specified organisations," said Mr Hain, which means he still accepts that the UDA is observing its ceasefire even though it was also involved in recent violence, but to a lesser extent than the UVF.