THE withdrawal of the offer of IRA decommissioning last night plunged the Northern Ireland peace process deep into crisis.

In a hard-hitting statement, the terror group accused the British and Irish governments of withdrawing their commitments and trying its patience to the limit.

It confirmed that it was taking its proposals to get rid of its weapons off the table.

The move follows both governments blaming the IRA for carrying out the £26.5m bank raid on the Northern Bank in Belfast.

The IRA rejected claims that it had continued to engage in paramilitary activity and was responsible for the heist.

But it did not threaten a return to full-scale violence.

It stated: "The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again.

"We wanted to succeed. We have played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far.

"We are prepared, as part of a genuine and collective effort, to do so again if and when the conditions are created for this."

A Downing Street spokes-man said they were not surprised by the IRA statement.

He said: "The fact remains that it was the IRA that did carry out the Northern Bank robbery, and, as the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach said yesterday, therefore it is the IRA that is the sole obstacle to moving forward."

But Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams blamed the two governments for provoking the IRA's response.

He said "The IRA statement is obviously a direct consequence of the retrograde stance of the two governments. It is evidence of a deepening crisis, and I regret that very much.

"The two governments have opted for confrontation. They are engaging in the sterile politics of the blame game without any regard for the consequences.

"This negative approach has effectively scuttled the enormous work done in persuading the IRA to undertake the unprecedented initiatives which they publicly outlined in December.

"All of this good work has now been undermined."

DUP leader the Reverend Ian Paisley said the IRA statement would be treated with contempt by all right-thinking people.

He said: "Not for the first time, the IRA has withdrawn its cooperation on decommissioning. This will be another attempt to bargain with the Government in order to take the pressure off them.

"The Northern Bank heist confirmed that the IRA never put an offer on the table that they intended to keep.

"They never had any intention of giving up their criminal empire. That is why they walked away from the table last year."

Senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey called on both governments to make progress without republicans.

He said: "It is now eight years since Republicans agreed to commit to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. The people of Northern Ireland are still waiting for them to do so.

"The IRA are attempting to throw down the gauntlet to both governments with this statement. It is a crude, thinly-veiled threat."

SDLP deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell described the IRA statement as a cynical tactic.

He said: "We cannot allow the peace process to be held hostage to intransigence of the IRA or the DUP. There is an onus on the governments to ensure that as much of the Agreement as possible is implemented now.

"We cannot allow the IRA to stand in the way of change and progress for all of us."