British gun crime 'fuelled by Ireland'

Dissident republican paramilitaries are fuelling gun crime on the streets of Britain by smuggling weapons from the Irish Republic to sell to gangs, an Irish Government minister has claimed.

Justice minister Willie O'Dea said that elements of the Real IRA and Continuity IRA appeared to be in contact with gangs in English cities such as Manchester.

He said that guns were being smuggled from the Limerick area, which he represents in the Dail.

The area had recently been flooded with weapons as the dissident groups got involved in a feud between criminal gangs fighting for control of the drugs trade.

In an interview to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4's File on 4, Mr O'Dea said: "Some of the people who are involved in crime in the Limerick area have also got a base in the UK in and around Manchester and various cities around the UK.

"The reports I have heard and what I have seen would indicate that these people travel between Ireland and the UK and are involved in various kinds of smuggling - smuggling drugs, smuggling guns."

File on 4 said that a source in the National Criminal Intelligence Service had confirmed it was aware of "a few incidents" of weapons smuggling by dissident paramilitaries.

However, Deputy Chief Constable Alan Green of Greater Manchester Police said he had "no evidence" to support allegations that guns were being smuggled into the city from paramilitaries in Ireland.

He and Assistant Chief Constable Dave Whatton had met with the BBC on two occasions to discuss gun related crime, he said.

"On both occasions it was explained we had previously received one report that suggested this but after full investigation the claim was uncorroborated," Mr Green said. "We have no evidence to support these allegations and contact with the National Criminal Intelligence Service has confirmed our findings."

No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now