Secretary of State Theresa Villiers believes there is no change in the status of the UVF's ceasefire, although she concedes members of the group are involved in criminality. According to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) , Ms Villiers has been briefed by the PSNI on recent loyalist violence, including the shooting in east Belfast of Jemma McGrath. The 24-year-old was shot five times a fortnight ago in an attack widely believed to have been carried out by the UVF. The shooting has raised questions about the integrity of the UVF's ceasefire, which was similarly called into question in 2010 following the murder of Bobby Moffet and the following year after rioting in east Belfast.
In response to queries about the status of the UVF's ceasefire, an NIO spokesman said: "the secretary of state has been briefed by PSNI that while individual members of loyalist paramilitary organisations have been involved in recent acts of violence or criminality, their assessment remains that, as an organisation, there is no evidence of the any change in status of the UVF ceasefire. "The secretary of state keeps these matters under constant review and remains in regular contact with the chief constable."
Last week, PUP leader Billy Hutchinson described the shooting of Ms McGrath as "summary justice". "I don't know whether that young woman was shot by the UVF or not but whoever shot her, it's despicable," he told The Irish News. "There's no room in society for them."