An independent inquiry into controversial killings in Northern Ireland will depend on the findings of an international judge who is currently examining six cases, Secretary of State John Reid has said.

Dr Reid's comments followed a call by a victims' group for an independent judicial inquiry into more than 100 killings by loyalist paramilitaries.

The call came after the second part of a BBC Panorama programme alleging collusion between the security services and loyalists was broadcast over the weekend.

Speaking on Monday, John Reid said he would await the outcome of the inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane by Canadian Judge Justice Peter Cory.

Justice Peter deCarteret Cory: Asked to carry out examinations

Dr Reid said the government would abide by the recommendations of Judge Cory who has been appointed by the British and Irish governments to look into the six controversial killings in the province, including that of Mr Finucane.

The secretary of state also said some mechanism would have to be found to address the hurt caused to the families of those murdered in the Troubles.

However, when asked if he recommended a truth commission, Dr Reid said he did not have that mechanism.

Devastated

Earlier, the Relatives for Justice Group gathered in Belfast to demand an outside investigation into the Panorama allegations.

The group, based in west Belfast, is mostly made up of nationalists whose relatives have been killed by the security forces in disputed circumstances.

Group spokesman Mark Thompson said lives had been devastated by the actions of the security services and that responsibility lay "squarely with the British Government".

Mark Thompson: Call for inquiry

"The gravity of this situation should not be dealt with by internal police investigations nor by investigative television documentaries drip feeding information but by a full independent international judicial inquiry into the arming, controlling, and directing of loyalist death squads by the British Government."

Sunday night's Panorama programme looked at several killings by loyalists including the high profile murder of Mr Finucane in 1989.

'Collaborated'

It alleged elements within Northern Ireland's police and military intelligence collaborated with loyalist paramilitaries in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the murder of Catholics.

A man identified as a loyalist killer told the programme the targets included Mr Finucane, who was murdered 13 years ago.

Since 1989, Sir John Stevens, who is now commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has been investigating the allegation that shadowy elements within military intelligence and the RUC Special Branch were colluding with loyalist assassination squads.

His report is due out in the coming weeks.

The RUC became the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in November last year.