Government moves to delay security report

Northern Ireland Office Minister Owen Paterson called today for the report into the 1999 murder of civil rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson to be delayed until after the May 5 elections.

Ms Nelson, a 40-year-old mother-of-three, died after a bomb planted by the loyalist Red Hand Defenders exploded under her car as she left her home in Lurgan, Co Armagh, on March 15 1999.

The lawyer represented a number of high-profile republicans as well as acting for a Catholic residents' group.

There had long been concerns for her safety after she was allegedly threatened by members of the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries.

Mr Paterson said in a statement to the House of Commons today that his team's review of the public inquiry findings was to get under way.

"I intend to adopt the same approach as was used for the checking of the report of the Bloody Sunday, Billy Wright and Robert Hamill inquiry reports," he said.

"The Nelson inquiry intends to complete its report by the end of April 2011."

But a spokesman for the inquiry told the Star that it had now been asked to retain the report until after the May elections.

Sinn Fein MLA for Upper Bann John O'Dowd said: "Given that the Assembly has no bearing on this report, this appears to be yet another undue delay which is wholly unacceptable.

"Election or no election, this report should be published at the end of April as was originally outlined and should not be delayed."