BA scaling down of Britain's military presence forms part of a plan being shaped by Britain and the Irish Republic to salvage Northern Ireland's peace process.

Irish state broadcaster RTE, quoting unidentified sources, said the plan also involved IRA guerrillas making a gesture before May to disarm.

The plan envisaged the head of Northern Ireland's independent disarmament body, Canadian General John de Chastelain, remaining in his post for another year.

It would involve the Irish Republican Army taking charge of shedding its weaponry while being monitored by de Chastelain.

On February 10, Britain formalized legislation to take back direct rule of Northern Ireland as pressure mounted for a solution to the disarmament deadlock.

With passage through parliament completed of a bill suspending Northern Ireland's power-sharing government of minority Roman Catholics and majority Protestants, the clock was ticking toward a late Friday deadline for direct rule to come into force.