Catholics wanted for Northern Ireland police

A recruitment campaign to persuade members of the minority Roman Catholic community to join a new police service in Northern Ireland is being launched today.

The replacement of the Protestant-dominated Royal Ulster Constabulary is one of the main planks of the Northern Ireland peace process.

But the IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, and the nationalist SDLP are refusing to support the reforms, saying they do not go far enough.

Nearly two hundred and fifty cadets are needed for the new force -- the government's intention being that they should be drawn equally from the Catholic and Protestant communities. Members of ethnic minorities -- such as the Chinese community -- are also being sought.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service