THE Rev Roy Magee who helped broker the 1994 loyalist ceasefire last night said it was close to breaking point.
Mr Magee, a member of the Parades Commission, speaking after a meeting with the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition in Portadown, said:
"It's very difficult at the moment. It's getting very, very edgy. I don't like to put it too strongly but it's more dangerous now than it has been since the beginning of the ceasefire. It may be that people will be able to pull back from the brink; but at this point in time I'm concerned.
"They feel very strongly that the IRA's tactics is to draw them in again.
"I personally hope that they won't succumb to that. I think it is very, very important that they hold their ground. I hope they are not drawn in because they would be doing the IRA's work."
He stressed that there was quite a lot of work and contact going on to talk and reason with the loyalist paramilitaries. However, he was concerned about the newly formed Loyalist Volunteer Force which was not under the Combined Loyalist Military Command.
"I think there are some of the dissidents within loyalist paramilitaries who would not be hard to draw back into the fray again. They are very close to breaking point."