Relatives of people killed by loyalists from North and West Belfast have given news of a major decommissioning move by the UVF and Red Hand Commando a mixed reaction.

At the weekend the leadership of the two organisations, who were responsible for almost 1,000 deaths during the 30-year conflict, revealed that all arms under its control had been decommissioned.

The paramilitary command staff said it had “completed the process of rendering ordnance totally and irreversibly beyond use”.

The UDA has also given up some of its weapons and it is understood that the process will be completed before the deadline of February 2010.

North Belfast man JJ Magee tragically lost his 15 year old sister Anne in a UDA/ UFF gun attack in 1976.

For him the move towards complete decommissioning of all arms especially those brought in by the Ulster Resistance, should happen sooner rather than later.

"I do welcome the move and hopefully we see a more substantial move by the UDA in the future. I look forward towards a society where all guns are gone and we have a police force that isn't armed like there is in the south.

"I do have concerns about weapons smuggled in from South Africa to the Ulster Resistance. Where did they go? "They killed a lot of nationalist people and I would want to be sure all those weapons were decommissioned.

"I want to see those who were involved in setting up the Ulster Resistance play their part by releasing information about the weapons or going to find out where they are now,  or encourage people to give them up."

The UVF said the decommissioning process began last autumn but was suspended after dissident republicans killed two soldiers and a policeman in Antrim and Craigavon, in March.

Former UVF prisoner Billy Hutchinson helped negotiate with the IICD led by General John de Chastelain who four years ago witnessed destruction of the IRA's arsenal of guns, ammunition and explosives.

Josephine Larmour whose mother Sadie was murdered in 1979 by a UVF gunman said the news was extremely emotive, "especially for someone who has lost a loved one to the UVF," she said.

"It is a very welcome statement and I hope it is true they have decommissioned all weapons. My focus is on the truth because the UVF and UDA were armed by the State. We need to know why our loved ones were targeted in the first place."

Maureen Rafferty's 14-year-old son Philip was abducted close to his home at Tullymore Gardens and shot by the UDA/UFF. The same day 17 year old Gabriel Savage was murdered in the same area, by what is believed was the same gang.

She said she didn't believe the outlawed organisation had fully let go of all its weapons.

"They will never give up all their arms, I just don't believe them and I would be very sceptical about what they've said.

"I do believe there was collusion in my son's case,  because not for love nor money could you find a soldier on that road the night Philip was taken but yet this gang had the freedom to come in and snatch my Philip and then come back and grab Gabriel Savage outside the Busy Bee and murder him. The hurt is very deep for me about this and I find it very hard to take it in."

The day after Philip Rafferty's murder, Eugene Heenan's father Paddy was murdered as he made his way to work. One man Albert 'Ginger Baker' was jailed for his part in the killing.

"Yes there's less guns on the streets but the big issue is why were innocent Catholics killed? The man who killed my father was trained by special forces, he was an informant and he was the first supergrass to give evidence against the UDA.

"The British government has to decommission their weapons which are their agents because together they stand accused of state murder. I think that is the far bigger issue than any sort of decommissioning by the UVF."