What the papers say

Journalist Mike Philpott reviews Thursday's morning newspapers.

The Mirror leads with a report on what it calls "the square mile of fear".

It says the police have stepped up patrols after 28 women were raped in less than 10 months in the Holy Land area around Queen's University in south Belfast.

In a leader, the paper describes the figures as alarming and says many attacks go unreported.

It concludes that the entire community "must have a zero tolerance approach to sex crime" and more effort must be put into keeping the streets safe.

This was a serious intervention by a senior officer who has seen at first hand the downside of the whole reform process

News Letter

The News Letter says that the Ulster Volunteer Force ceasefire is at breaking point.

It says it understands that four out of five members of the UVF are now opposed to the Belfast Agreement.

Reform process

In a leader, it examines the discontent expressed on Wednesday by Bill Lowry, president of the Police Superintendents' Association.

Mr Lowry told an audience, that included the secretary of state, that political interference in policing was increasing.

The paper describes it as "a serious intervention by a senior officer who has seen at first hand the downside of the whole reform process".

Ian Paisley should have given his full co-operation from the start

Irish News

It tells the government not to pander to political extremes and instead concentrate on stability and peace.

The Irish News reports under its main headline that Belfast's attempt to become a European Capital of Culture has been dealt a major blow by the resignation of Shona McCarthy, the chief executive of the company set up to steer the initiative.

Alongside its main story, it carries a picture of the DUP leader Ian Paisley, arriving at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

In a leader, the paper argues that he should have given his full co-operation from the start.

But it has a different view of the inquiry's insistence that journalists reveal their sources.

It must be remembered, it says, that the inquiry would almost certainly not have been launched if it had not been for the work of those journalists who were determined to find the truth.

Opposition parties

In Dublin, there is continuing coverage of the anger that is being expressed over Garda behaviour during a street demonstration on Monday.

But the Irish Independent devotes more space to the outcome of an opinion poll, suggesting that Fianna Fail is on course for an overall majority in next week's election.

The paper notes that it would be the first such majority in 25 years and would make Bertie Ahern the first taoiseach to be re-elected since 1969.

In a leader, it says the reasons are easy to find. The opposition parties "have failed to lay a glove on Mr Ahern".

But it concludes that there are dangers in majorities - especially big majorities, and to prove that, there is no need to look any further than the House of Commons.