Huge response to police campaign

New recruits could be on the street by next spring

More than 4,000 people have requested application forms for the new Police Service of Northern Ireland since advertisements first appeared on television three days ago.

The Consensia Partnership, which is overseeing the recruitment drive, revealed the figures on Monday.

They pointed out 350 requests had come from the Republic of Ireland ahead of a poster campaign and publication of newspaper advertisements for the new service.

The service will replace the Royal Ulster Constabulary under the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.

Consensia said the response so far had been "unprecedented" for this type of recruitment drive.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin has accused the British Government of "playing dangerous games" over the policing issue.

The Northern Ireland peace process is deadlocked over the issues of policing, IRA disarmament and British demilitarisation and intensive discussions have taken place between the two governments and the parties.

Mitchel McLaughlin: Accusing government of "dangerous games"

Mr McLaughlin said the parties were entering a "critical fortnight".

He said: "The British Government has been playing games, dangerous games on this issue.

"They have delivered a Policing Bill that will deliver flawed policing and I think that the media know that.

"I would like to see the media putting those questions and putting them forcefully to the British Government because there are no satisfactory explanations other than the concerns of the securocrats within the system."

Mr McLaughlin was speaking amid growing speculation that the British and Irish governments will host round-table talks involving the pro-agreement parties at Hillsborough in County Down.

At the weekend, Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble urged the SDLP and Sinn Fein to adopt a "positive approach" to any discussions about policing.

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Mr Trimble said that round table talks would not necessarily lead to a breakthrough but that the attitude of the parties was more important.

David Trimble: "Decision time"

Also speaking on Sunday, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said nationalists and republicans should hold out for a "platform for sustainable change on the policing issue".

Meanwhile, the Presbyterian moderator, Dr Trevor Morrow, said the current impasse on policing in Northern Ireland must be broken as soon as possible.

Break the impasse

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence programme, Dr Morrow said there had to be a way for all parties including the SDLP and Sinn Fein to give their support to the new police bill.

The SDLP and Sinn Fein say there is still a "gap" between what was proposed in the Patten report and what the British Government has put forward and have, so far, refused to put forward nominees to the new Police Board.

On Saturday, the SDLP's deputy leader, Seamus Mallon, said next weekend is the deadline for a deal to break the impasse over policing.

His party is holding back its endorsement of the new service, hoping to gain promises of further police reforms from the government.

Sinn Fein has urged nationalists not to apply to the service and has claimed the recruitment, coming ahead of resolution of the policing issue, is illegal.