Bitter divisions within the Ulster Defence Association deepened tonight with the expulsion of loyalist John White.
The action against White came just 48 hours after his close friend Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, the organisation's west Belfast commander, was kicked out for siding with the rival Loyalist Volunteer Force.
White, a convicted murderer, dismissed the latest move from the UDA leadership.
"I don't give any credibility to this statement," he said. "These people don't represent the rank and file membership of the UDA as witnessed by the numerous statements of support coming out of other areas."
Loyalist sources warned tonight that the UDA has effectively been split into two organisations with three of the six brigades supporting the inner council decision and the others falling in behind Adair.
The statement issued by its inner council declared: "The leadership had no alternative but to give notice of their decision to also expel the former west Belfast commander's close ally and media spokesperson".
Security chiefs have been put on full alert after the decision to expel Adair sparked fears that a savage new round of loyalist blood-letting was about to erupt on the streets of Belfast.
In the latest murder attempt, a young man was grazed in the back earlier today after a lone gunman fired several shots at him as he worked in a car in a garage in east Belfast.
Loyalist sources said the man was linked to Stephen Warnock, the drugs baron and LVF leader, who was gunned down earlier this month in Newtownards, Co Down, by members of the east Belfast UDA.
PA