Sinn Fein has suspended seven members after the family of the murdered Robert McCartney handed over the names of those suspected of being involved to party leader Gerry Adams.

Adams said the seven suspected republicans were immediately suspended after he made inquiries about the list.

McCartney and another man were stabbed and beaten to death in a bar on January 30.

The news comes at a bad time for the party who had hoped to be celebrating electoral successes in Northern and southern Ireland and on the eve of the party's three day annual conference in Dublin this weekend.

Claims that the IRA also carried out the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery have cast a shadow over the weekend conference.

Last night Adams said the suspended members had been told to give "full and frank" statements.