The Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams is preparing to announce that an IRA arms dump has been permanently sealed, new Ulster Unionist MP Mr David Burnside claimed today.
Mr Burnside was speaking ahead of talks with British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair in Downing Street this afternoon.
Hesaid the Mr Adamswould make the weapons declaration as part of fresh republican moves to try and force the British government into making more concessions on policing and demilitarisation.
"The Unionist community is not prepared to accept any more concessions. Gerry Adams is going to tell Mr Blair that one IRA arms dump has been permanently sealed to try and get a fudge on July 1st," he said..
"But it is a con job which won't wash. The Ulster Unionist parliamentary party is in no mood to compromise."
He also claimed the IRA was stillinvolved in substantial arms importation.
But Sinn Féin policing spokesman MrGerry Kelly denied any knowledge of Mr Burnside's claim.
"My first reaction is that this guy is making the stuff up as he goes along.," he said.
"What would he know? Remember this is coming from a guy who was first pro-Agreement, then anti-Agreement, then he's pro-Agreement and he's jumping about.
"The guy has clearly plucked this out of the air."
Mr Kelly said Mr Burnsideshould instead focus on his party's ban on Sinn Féin ministers attending meetings of the North-South Ministerial Council and on bolstering the BelfastAgreement.
"That is what he needs to be doing instead of supporting the imposition of another deadline by David Trimble which is undermining the institution," he argued.
PA