London MP defends IRA over bank raid

A London Liberal Democrat MP triggered a row today after she claimed that the IRA was "innocent until proven guilty".

Brent East MP Sarah Teather said in an interview that it was "unacceptable" for Ulster's police chief to blame the Provos for the UK's biggest ever bank robbery.

She told the Irish Post that Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde was wrong to have made his announcement without any evidence being made public. The Tories said Ms Teather had "taken leave of her senses". Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said the last thing Northern Ireland needed was "an ill-informed, confused person riding to the rescue of the IRA".

Tony Blair and Irish premier Bertie Ahern have condemned the IRA for staging the ?26million heist - a clear breach of the Good Friday Agreement requiring paramilitaries to end criminal activity.

After initially denying the Provisionals were involved, Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams admitted last week that "maybe I'm wrong". Sinn Fein MPs were this week stripped of their parliamentary allowances over the raid. The MP, who has a large Irish community in the Kilburn area of her constituency, said: "Nowhere else would a chief constable effectively appoint himself judge and jury and announce before something has gone to trial."

Ms Teather said she was confused by Mr Orde's decision to go public, adding it was "hugely detrimental to the peace process".

She said: "Surely we have a principle in this country of people being innocent until proven guilty?" Mr Trimble told the Standard: "During the interview Ms Teather admits she is confused and it is absolutely clear that she is."