Maze prison protest set to end after crisis talks

The loyalist protest at the Maze prison is to end after a breakthrough during crisis meetings between loyalist politicians and Northern Ireland security officials yesterday.

After nearly an hour of talks at Stormont Castle, representatives from the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), which has close links to UDA paramilitaries at the centre of the protests, emerged to say there were signs the dispute could be resolved. Two earlier meetings had ended without agreement.

The dispute had started on Tuesday after prison officers introduced new security measures for all prisoners in the aftermath of the discovery of a Republican escape tunnel at the Maze. Loyalists refused to co-operate with the planned twice-daily lock-ups for head counts on the grounds they were being penalised for the behaviour of the IRA.

Prison staff were withdrawn from two of the H-shaped blocks involved, family visits were suspended and inmates took to the rooves, burning furniture and papers. The Ulster Freedom Fighters then warned of "a price to be paid" if riot squads were used to re-take the prison blocks.