Police in Northumbria yesterday denied a claim by a former RUC agent, Mr Martin McGart land, that they failed to protect him when he was shot two weeks ago and insisted he was not co-operating with their security advice.
The Provisional IRA is suspected of shooting Mr McGart land in an attack at his home in Tyneside, and in an interview shown on ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme this week he blamed the police for failing to protect him and insisted he should be given a new identity and secret address.
Northumbria police claim Mr McGartland withdrew from police protection shortly before recording the programme on Thursday and has not renewed security arrangements with the police. However, sources close to Mr McGart land told The Irish Times they believed he was still under police protection at a "safe house".
In a statement, Northumbria police said it would "not enter into public debate about specific security arrangements, but what we will say is that protection is a two-way matter and anyone offered it must realise they have an equal part to play in ensuring its effectiveness."