Tension was high in Northern Ireland last night as security patrols were stepped up in several areas in an attempt to prevent a backlash after the funeral of the Loyalist Volunteer Force leader, Billy Wright.
Surveillance around Catholic-owned bars and hotels in vulnerable areas such as mid-Ulster, north Antrim and north Belfast was increased as further reprisals against nationalists by loyalist extremists were feared.
The LVF threatened to "widen its theatre of operations" after Wright was killed by INLA inmates inside the top-security Maze prison outside Belfast on Saturday. Within hours it had murdered a former republican prisoner, Mr Seamus Dillon, outside a Dungannon hotel.
His funeral in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, took place yesterday and his family called for no retaliation.
Yesterday a number of Catholic-owned taxi companies were approached by the RUC and warned to take extra security precautions. Police chiefs warned that a lot would depend on what happened over the next 48 hours.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, has called on loyalists "not to allow themselves to be provoked into further violence by the murder of Mr Wright".
Mr Trimble is to meet the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, today to discuss the security and political situation. He met the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Rev Ian Paisley, yesterday at short notice and said afterwards he believed the British government's "actions" were creating a dangerous situation.
Mr Trimble condemned the British government's response to the shooting of Wright as "wholly inadequate" and called for an independent inquiry.
A delegation from the UUP also met the RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, yesterday. The party's security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, afterwards called again for the resignation of Dr Mowlam, saying Mr Flanagan had indicated there would be "problems for the foreseeable future".
Hundreds of extra policemen were drafted into Portadown yesterday for Wright's funeral, and all bus services in the town and in nearby Craigavon were suspended for the rest of the day.
Meanwhile US Congressman Peter King has backed Dr Mow lam and criticised unionist politicians calling for her resignation. He accused both the UUP and DUP of undermining the peace process and called on them to show leadership.
"Mo Mowlam has done the best job that she can despite the obstruction of the unionists," Mr King said, adding that Mr Trimble risked the judgment of history as "the man who lost the peace" if he continued to refuse to talk to Sinn Fein.
Late last night the Church of Ireland primate, Dr Robin Eames, said many in the loyalist community felt "marginalised" in the peace process, but urged them to continue talking rather than fighting.
"There are many who feel there has been a swing towards the Republican side in the granting of favours and so on," he said in a BBC Radio interview.
"There are those who feel marginalised. At the moment it is just a perception, but in Northern Ireland a perception can become a reality in a twinkling of an eye."
Asked what advice he had for the community, he said: "We have got to go on and on and on despite all the difficulties and frustrations. We have got to exhaust totally the process of dialogue. We cannot allow ourselves to drift back to where we have come from."