Unionists 'trying to halt police reform'

Chief Constable Hugh Orde wants to keep reserve

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has accused the Ulster Unionists of having an agenda aimed at halting the reform of policing in Northern Ireland.

In a BBC interview, Mr Durkan said the government must not allow unionist pressure to delay its plans on continuing the changes to policing outlined in the Patton report.

Last weekend the Ulster Unionist Party hardened its policy on working within the province's power-sharing government.

Party leader David Trimble said if republicans had not proved they were committed to peace by the New Year his party would withdraw from Stormont.

Mark Durkan accused UUP of other agenda

The Northern Ireland first minister also imposed the immediate sanction on Sinn Fein by starting a boycott of North-South Ministerial Council meetings, in which the republican party is involved.

But Mr Durkan, the deputy first minister, said the Ulster Unionist move was aimed at stalling the changes to policing in Northern Ireland, rather than simply putting pressure on republican paramilitaries.

He said: "They know the governments aren't going to be able to deliver the disbandment of the IRA."

And he said the UUP wanted to "turn back the clock" on police reform.

David Trimble said his policy was aimed at putting pressure on republicans

Although the Ulster Unionists took their seats on the Policing Board, and have been working alongside the newly formed Police Service of Northern Ireland, concern is still high within party ranks about developments since the changeover from the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

There is concern about the setting up of district policing partnership boards - a Patten report proposal yet to be implemented.

And the Ulster Unionists are dismayed about the effect the changeover has had on police morale.

New Chief Constable Hugh Orde has said he is committed to rejuvenating Northern Ireland's police service, but he has already expressed concern about the effects the pace of change has had on his staffing levels.

On Friday Mr Orde asked the Policing Board to delay the planning phasing out of the full-time police reserve for another three years.

The Patten proposals on the future of policing had recommended that the reserve force should be scrapped when the security situation allowed.

However, Mr Orde has said he would need officers in the reserve for the foreseeable future.

Many experienced officers took the severance package offered during the changeover, as the police embraced the new policy of 50% Catholic recruitment.

Mr Orde has said he now urgently needs to recruit 100 more detectives. He is launching an advertising campaign in England to try to attract officers back to Northern Ireland.