THE Department of Foreign Affairs is today expecting a full account from the British government of a shooting incident involving the RUC near a Co Antrim bar last Friday night.
The matter was raised through the Anglo Irish Secretariat at Maryfield at the weekend and a preliminary account of the incident has been given.
An investigation, supervised by the Independent Commission for Police Complaints in Northern Ireland, began yesterday following an incident outside the Derryhirk Bar, in Aghagallon, when police fired a number of shots.
Conflicting reports of what occurred are emerging and SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, has been contacted by the bar owner, Mr Patsy Mulholland.
An RUC statement issued at the weekend said: "Following reports of suspicious activity in the Derryhirk Inn, Aghagallon area, police came upon a number of persons acting suspiciously. Police fired a number of shots. There were no reports of any injuries."
One man was arrested at that time but later released.
However, this version has been disputed by Mr Mulholland. He said at least three men, dressed in "paramilitary style uniforms" fired on bar staff who spotted them hiding in hedges in the car park opposite the pub on Friday night.
Mr Mulholland said the men, who were later identified by an RUC officer as members of the security forces, ran across the car park after two men he employed as car park attendants, firing up to eight bullets.
The two car park attendants said: "They shouted `Stop or we'll f..king shoot' and then they fired up to eight shots at the security men in the car park," said Mr Mulholland.
"The boys came into the bar and told everyone to dive for cover. The lights went out then, I don't know why and then the two men came in and ransacked the bar. They just went stone beserk. I thought it was another Greysteel," he said.
"Three or four minutes later a uniformed policeman came in and said they were members of the security forces," he added.