Former Mount Vernon UVF leader Mark Haddock shot dead Sean McParland

DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit probing the murder of 55 year old Sean McParland in Skegoneill Avenue in north Belfast in February 1994 have arrested a 41 year old woman.

She was arrested this morning and is being questioned at the Serious Crime Suite in Antrim police station.

Mr McParland was shot by Mount Vernon UVF boss Mark Haddock in Skegoniel Avenue in north Belfast on 17 February while babysitting. He died a week later.

Today’s arrest is part of Operation Stafford, an investigation into a series of murders and other serious crimes by the UVF in north Belfast.

The arrests are based on information supplied by former south east Antrim brigadier Gary Haggarty who is now in police protective custody ahead of a supergrass trial next year.

Haggarty has admitted to detectives to being one of the two gunmen. He is currently living in a witness protection programme somewhere in England.

In June, a 45-year-old woman was arrested in the Newtownabbey area as part of the Operation Stafford probe.

She was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.