ULSTER GUNMEN MOVE IN ON SCOTS GANG TURF WAR

A TEAM of hired gunmen are heading to Scotland from Ulster as a bloody drugs war threatens to spiral out of control.

The ex-IRA terror squad have been called in by friends of notorious gangster John "Joker" McCartney who was gunned down in a Southside Glasgow pub last Thursday.

McCartney, 41, and associate Craig Devlin, 31, were shot in the back at close range as they sat at the bar of the Royal Oak in Nitshill. Police believe it was a revenge attack ordered by enforcers for former drugs boss and owner of the Oak, Stuart "Specky" Boyd, who died last year in a horrific car crash in Spain.

His death left a void in the local drugs scene and rival gangs are now locked in a turf war.

It's believed a friend of Boyd's was brutally stabbed by enforcers for McCartney and Devlin in Barrhead two months ago.

Now underworld sources fear the war will escalate with the arrival of hired executioners from Ireland.

A source said: "John and Craig's closest pals will not stand by. Phone calls have been made across the water and a handful of ex-IRA hitmen are on their way.

"These guys are highly trained killers, but with the ceasefire in Northern Ireland, they have a lot of time on their hands and they want to use their skills to make money.

"They will be in the background, staying in guest houses or hotels waiting for it to kick off.

"The fear among John and Craig's people is that Specky Boyd's brothers will now try to muscle in on the Barrhead market.

"The expectation is that things will kick-off again fairly soon.

"Make no mistake, there will be bodies on the streets before long."

It's understood that McCartney and Devlin's appearance in the Royal Oak was to show the Boyd faction they fear no-one.

They even took along notorious gangster Tam "The Licencee" McGraw as a drinking partner.

But the plan backfired when gangsters burst in and opened fire.

The wounded men were driven to hospital by McGraw who flagged down a police car to act as an escort.

McCartney and Devlin were both stable yesterday.

The source added: "They were in the Oak showing face to let the Nitshill mob, including Boyd's brothers, that it was their pub as much as their rivals." Strathclyde Police are still investigating the shooting.

Detective Chief Inspector Les Darling, who is leading the hunt for the gunmen, said he wants to speak to two men seen entering and leaving the Royal Oak around the time of the attack at 2pm.

The first man was wearing a red anorak with a hood and the second had a blue anorak with a hood.

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