The IRA was warned last night not to take revenge on the double agent who betrayed its secrets to British intelligence.
The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, told MPs in the House of Commons that no attack on an informer would be justified "in whatever circumstances". Mr Murphy was asked whether it would be "wrong and undemocratic" for the IRA to set its execution squads on an informer.
During a debate on delaying the Northern Ireland elections, Ulster Unionist Mr David Burnside (South Antrim) said: "You've been very clear in defining the non-violent, democratic activities that we expect the republican movement to adhere to.
"Would you include in that, it would be quite wrong and undemocratic for the Provisional IRA to carry out any action against any informer that has been within their military organisation in the last 30 years and many feel at the present time to be under great threat from the execution squads of the Provisional IRA?" Mr Murphy replied: "You must have someone in mind. I can assure you that whatever attack is made on whatever person in Northern Ireland, none of it can be justified. None of it. No attack on anybody in whatever circumstances is justifiable and will be condemned by all of us in this House."
Freddie Scappaticci was last night said to have gone into hiding in Britain after being named as a double agent who operated within the ranks of the IRA for many years under the codename Stakeknife.
It has been claimed that Scappaticci was one of the IRA's key men in tracking down informers who were later interrogated, tortured and shot dead.