Sinn Fein has said the British intelligence services tried to sabotage the Northern peace process, after former Northern secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, acknowledged that she sanctioned the bugging of a car used by the party's leader, Mr Gerry Adams, and Mr Martin McGuinness.
Ms Mowlam, now Cabinet Office Minister, told a television programme to be screened tonight that she approved the bugging of the Ford Mondeo car used by the Sinn Fein leaders during last year's talks to resolve the decommissioning and devolution impasse.
The surveillance device was discovered by Sinn Fein members and displayed at a Stormont press conference in December, just days after the formation of the Northern Ireland Executive.
The incident was described by Mr Adams at the time as "a hugely serious breach of faith" which could have damaged the peace process.
Northern Ireland Office officials refused at the time to confirm military intelligence involvement in the incident.
However, Dr Mowlam told BBC 1's You Only Live Once the car was bugged as part of the security effort "to make sure we knew what was going on".
A Sinn Fein spokesman last night described Dr Mowlam's admission as "disappointing but not surprising".
He said: "There can be little doubt this was part of a securocrat agenda which is still intent on subverting the peace process. This agenda is still evident in the way the demilitarisation and policing issues are being mishandled by the British government.
"Bad faith is a trait which appears inherent in the British government, particularly when dealing with Ireland."
He added until Britain accepted that its only objective should be disengagement, human rights conventions would continue to be breached.