The British government's plans for reforming the police force in Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, are to be outlined later today.

The plans are based on the recommendations of an international commission headed by the former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten set up as part of the Good Friday peace agreement.

The BBC Belfast correspondent says the government is expected to implement the vast majority of the commission's one-hundred and seventy-five recommendations. These include proposals to change the name of the force to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, as well as plans to reduce it in size, while recruiting more Catholics to make it more representative of the general population in Northern Ireland.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service