The RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, has said that he remains unconvinced that the IRA ceasefire will be permanent. There was not enough evidence to guarantee that the Provisionals would not restart their campaign, he said on BBC Northern Ireland.
He would continue monitoring the level of IRA activity - "or hopefully absence of activity". But there was no indication that they were about to hand over any weapons, he added.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has said that it has no interest in talking to Mr Flanagan. A senior Belfast member, Mr Jim Gibney, said that the party would hold discussions with the British government on policing, but would not meet Mr Flanagan.
In an interview in the Irish In- dependent earlier this week, Mr Flanagan had suggested that a meeting might be possible if Sinn Fein in future showed itself "to be absolutely constitutional in its approach to politics".