Flash: Adair supporters flee Belfast

Supporters of jailed unionist paramilitary boss Johnny Adair have
fled Belfast for Scotland today after overnight violence in their
lower Shankill Road power-base.

Police in Scotland have confirmed that a large group of known
paramilitary figures arrived in Cairnryan in Scotland this
morning.

Mr Adair's wife Gina and his close associate John White are
understood to be among a group who boarded a ferry in Larne in
Scotland after being driven out of their homes in Boundary Way in
west Belfast last night.

Gangs of men in a number of cars attacked homes in the area after
midnight.

A number of shots were fired as the bitter feud between warring
factions in the UDA escalated.

One gunman fired at a crowd of people from a red car. He fled on
to the Shankill Road but the driver of the car was later
arrested.

One shot was reported to have been discharged by the PSNI.

Mr Adair's supporters yesterday issued a statement defying a
challenge from the UDA leadership for them to abandon him.
However, more than 100 members of Adair's "C Company" are now
being reported to have defected to other parts of the UDA.

The events following the double killing of the organisation`s
South Antrim brigadier John Gregg and Robert Carson.

Both UDA leaders were gunned down in Belfast's Dockland's area on
Saturday as they returned from a Glasgow Rangers football match.
A taxi driver remains critically ill.

Mr Gregg's funeral was due to take place today while Mr Carson
was buried yesterday.

Johnny Adair was returned to prison last month on the order of
Northern Secretary Paul Murphy because of his role in the
continuing violence.

Ulster Unionist councillor for the Shankill area Chris McGimpsey
confirmed that Adair's stronghold was besieged last night and
that shots were fired.

"That was to be the start of significant fratricide, if you want
to put it that way," he said.

"Subsequent to that, the move is taking place.

"Overwhelmingly, the 'C' company members would appear to have
stayed in Belfast and to have re-affiliated themselves to the
main stream UDA. That would appear to be what has happened at the
moment."

Mr McGimpsey told BBC Radio that those who fled the area were
given security as they boarded the ferry to Scotland.

He added: "Hopefully, this means that the projected violence
which has been reported in some of the tabloids yesterday for the
weekend will now be averted and let's hope that there will be no
further violence and there will be no further deaths."