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| NI police collusion 'confirmed' | NI police collusion 'confirmed' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police colluded with loyalists behind several murders in north Belfast, a report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland is to confirm. | Police colluded with loyalists behind several murders in north Belfast, a report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland is to confirm. |
| Nuala O'Loan's report will say UVF members in the area committed murders and other serious crimes while working as informers for Special Branch. | Nuala O'Loan's report will say UVF members in the area committed murders and other serious crimes while working as informers for Special Branch. |
| The report will also say some Special Branch officers protected the killers and ensured they were not caught. | The report will also say some Special Branch officers protected the killers and ensured they were not caught. |
| NI Secretary Peter Hain said it "shone a torch into a very dark corner". | |
| The report will call for a number of murder investigations to be re-opened. | |
| But it is unlikely that any of the police officers involved will be prosecuted - the Ombudsman is expected to say that evidence was deliberately destroyed to ensure there could not be prosecutions. | But it is unlikely that any of the police officers involved will be prosecuted - the Ombudsman is expected to say that evidence was deliberately destroyed to ensure there could not be prosecutions. |
| No names | No names |
| The Ombudsman's investigation started more than three years ago when Belfast welder Raymond McCord claimed that his son, also called Raymond, had been killed by a police informer. | The Ombudsman's investigation started more than three years ago when Belfast welder Raymond McCord claimed that his son, also called Raymond, had been killed by a police informer. |
| The former RAF man was beaten to death and his body dumped in a quarry in 1997. | The former RAF man was beaten to death and his body dumped in a quarry in 1997. |
| Sharon McKenna was murdered in 1992 | Sharon McKenna was murdered in 1992 |
| Mr McCord has said he wants action against those who were responsible. | Mr McCord has said he wants action against those who were responsible. |
| Among the investigations which could be re-opened are the murder in north Belfast in 1992 of 27-year-old taxi driver Sharon McKenna, who was shot at the home of an elderly friend. | Among the investigations which could be re-opened are the murder in north Belfast in 1992 of 27-year-old taxi driver Sharon McKenna, who was shot at the home of an elderly friend. |
| The names of the police officers and the informers will not be made public. | The names of the police officers and the informers will not be made public. |
| However, it is known that the main informer at the centre of the investigation is Mark Haddock, who was named in the Irish parliament 15 months ago as a UVF killer. | However, it is known that the main informer at the centre of the investigation is Mark Haddock, who was named in the Irish parliament 15 months ago as a UVF killer. |
| Some of the Special Branch officers criticised in the report have rejected the Ombudsman's allegations as "unfounded and incapable of substantiation". | |
| In a statement, the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers' Association said they had always acted in the best interests of the pursuit of justice and had nothing to be ashamed of. | |
| The officers also challenged the Ombudsman to disclose the details of any evidence of their criminal behaviour discovered during her investigation. |