Man charged with attempted abduction

A leading republican has been arrested in north Belfast and charged with a range of offences including attempted kidnapping.

A leading republican has been arrested in north Belfast and charged with a range of offences including attempted kidnapping.

Mr Eddie Copeland (31) was arrested by detectives investigating an attempted abduction from a bookmaker's in the nationalist Ardoyne area off the Crumlin Road on Wednesday.

Mr Copeland was awarded over £27,000 sterling in damages after a British soldier shot him at a funeral in 1993. In 1996, he was seriously injured in a bomb attack by loyalists.

A police spokeswoman said Mr Copeland is to appear at Belfast magistrates' court this morning charged with threatening to kill, assault occasioning bodily harm and unlawful imprisonment and kidnapping.