Brendan Duddy - until recently a member of the Policing Board - was responding to a weekend interview by the former Prime Minister Sir John Major in which he again attributed a dramatic IRA "message" in 1993 to Martin McGuinness.

The gist of that message was that the conflict was over but the IRA needed British advice on how to end its war.

Mr McGuinness has always denied sending it.

Now, Brendan Duddy, the key figure in the secret "back channel" contacts, speaks for the first time on the issue.

He praises John Major's "significant part" in the peace process but says he "went off track... in speaking about Martin McGuinness" .

Mr Duddy explained his reasons for speaking at this time.

"There's no point in commentating for the sake of gossip or publicity," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

But he said he was prepared to talk "for the benefit of history and fact, and for progressing peace between the two communities in Northern Ireland".

On his role in the secret contacts, Duddy said his "mission" from day one, back in the 1970s, "was replacing violence with dialogue" . He was driven by his "Christian faith".

"I completely opposed the bombs, the blood and the bullets on all sides, " he said.

He told the Telegraph that his role in the contacts involved "hundreds of meetings" and "thousands of hours of delicate dialogue - all of it aimed at creating an environment free from violence and the gun."

And on the weekend John Major interview, he said: "John Major gave a very balanced assessment on television of the difficulties and the delicacy of negotiating peace. He played a significant part."

But he added: "Where he went off track was in speaking about Martin McGuinness.

"Martin McGuinness was psychologically not capable of asking for British advice to end the conflict - the IRA's war.

"That is not in Martin McGuinness's make-up or character."

Nine months after the message controversy of 1993, the IRA delivered its first "complete cessation of military operations".