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Dr John Reid
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The loyalist Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has called a halt to spiralling violence by its members across Northern Ireland, the Northern Secretary Dr John Reid has said.
Dr Reid said he was prepared to declare the UDA ceasefire over today, but said it was communicated to him that the group recognised the damage violence had done and had decided to call a halt to it.
Dr Reid said he would be reviewing the situation on the streets of Northern Ireland "tonight, tomorrow night and every night".
If there is a resumption of violence, Dr Reid said, he would specify the UDA ceasefire was over.
Disturbances in north Belfast have left 46 police officers injured in 48 hours.
"My intention had been to come here tonight to specify the UDA and to declare their ceasefire over", Dr Reid told a press conference in Belfast.
"Based on briefings I am in no doubt that the scale, the level, the pattern of UDA violence merits the decision to specify. Indeed I have in front of me the order I was to sign this evening.
"However, in the course of a briefing I received within the past few hours, it was communicated to me that the leadership of the UDA has accepted the damage their violence is doing both to individuals and to the general peace process and has decided to call that violence to a halt.
"While I am deeply skeptical of any words emanating from this organisation, even at this eleventh hour I am prepared to put the UDA to the test.
"I will judge the UDA by its actions tonight, tomorrow night, and every night.
"If there is UDA-inspired violence in Belfast tonight, the UDA will be specified tomorrow. If their is a continuation of the pipe-bomb campaign, sectarian and widespread in its nature, the UDA will be specified. They will be tested on their actions not on their words each day", he added.
Last night 13 officers were injured and a woman was shot in the leg in rioting that saw over 100 petrol bombs and a number of blast bombs thrown. Thirty three officers were hurt on Wednesday night in similar disturbances.
The trouble centred around the junction of Cambrai Street and the Crumlin Road - the same spot where police came under sustained gun attacks on Wednesday night. Extra police and troops have been drafted in to keep loyalist and republican factions apart.
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The violence in north Belfast first erupted in mid June, when loyalists protested about Catholic parents and children walking through their area to the Holy Cross Primary School.
RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan claimed paramilitaries, supposedly on ceasefire, were co-ordinating the violence: "I have no doubt that the UDA locally have been involved over the past two nights in this violence".
Earlier the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern said the outbreak of violence in north Belfast was extremely worrying.
Speaking at the opening of the E-Ireland exhibition in the RDS in Dublin today, he said the Government had taken up the issue with the British authorities but that it was ultimately a matter for the Dr Reid to deal with.
The Ulster Democratic Party chairman, Mr John White, earlier warned against declaring the ceasefire was over.
Speaking on RTE news, he said any move by Dr Reid to do so would be dangerous as members adhering to the ceasefire may then "go out and do things".
Mr White claimed the UDA, as an organisation, was not behind the recent violence and that it was still on ceasefire.
additional reporting PA
