Martin McGuinness will not attend funeral for the murdered prison officer, David Black

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister, will not attend tomorrow’s funeral for the murdered prison officer, David Black, after Mr Black’s family declined the senior republican’s offer to pay his respects.

Cookstown in Mid Ulster will come to a standstill as hundreds of former colleagues, friends and neighbours pay their respects to Mr Black, 52, who was married with two children.

He was gunned down in his car by suspected dissident republicans on a motorway as he drove to work at the high-security Maghaberry Prison last Thursday.