Noisy supporters of five suspected Real IRA members facing explosive charges were cleared from a packed courtroom in Northern Ireland today.
PSNI officers escorted out relatives and friends of the four men and a woman accused of Real IRA membership amid tense scenes in Ballymena, Co Antrim.
After cheering and applause greeted their first appearance in the dock, magistrate Richard Wilson ordered them to leave.
He said: "People who are in court don't know how to behave, everyone who was clapping, out."
Lawyers for the accused resisted his ruling and following negotiations some family members were allowed to return to the special sitting of the town's magistrates court.
All five face charges of possessing firebombs and membership of the Real IRA after three incendiary devices were discovered at a house in Ballymena on Saturday.
The accused, all from the town, were: Mr Anthony Martin Lee (29) an unemployed man from Fisherwick Crescent; Mr Pearse O'Neill (22) unemployed, of Deramore Crescent; Mr Christopher Smiley (20) also unemployed from Dunclug Park; Mr Liam Lyness, a 20-year-old butcher of Fisherwick Crescent; and Ms Simone Sloane (22) a dental nurse from Fisherwick Gardens.
Some of the accused shouted Republican slogans as they were being led out of the court in handcuffs.
Mr O'Neill made no reply to either charge, the court was told. The court heard that Ms Sloane replied: "I completely deny that allegation," when both charges were put to her.
Three of her co-accused, Mr Lee, Mr Lyness and Mr Smiley made no reply when charged with possession but each declared that they had never been a member of any illegal organisation.
During cross-examination their solicitor, Mr Peter Madden, challenged a detective constable to confirm police would not disclose what substances were found during searches of the house in Fisherwick Gardens where the seizure was made.
He added: "I will be asking a forensic expert to examine the material in relation to that as there is a question mark over the nature of the material.
"That was raised by me throughout the interviews and I have not yet had any confirmation in relation to the substances."
Detective Constable Paul Bennett, part of a police major investigation team involved in the case, said he could connect all five with the charges. They were remanded in custody to appear again via video link on March 3rd.