Board 'not out to get' police chief

Policing Board's decision has caused controversy

The vice chairman of the Policing Board has rejected claims that some board members are out to get the chief constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

The decision by the 19-member Policing Board to ask Sir Ronnie to delay his departure from the post on Thursday, caused controversy.

Sir Ronnie, who has overseen the start of sweeping changes to Northern Ireland's police service, had announced his intention to retire.

The chief constable has been asked to remain in the post for a further four weeks, however, restrictions have been placed on what he can say about the Police Ombudsman.

No one was out really to get Ronnie Flanagan and in many ways it was not about Ronnie Flanagan

Denis Bradley Board vice-chairman

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday, Denis Bradley said there were "bigger issues at stake".

"No one was out really to get Ronnie Flanagan and in many ways it was not about Ronnie Flanagan, he said.

"It split in many ways. Some people, particularly from the independents, felt that in any organisation, when a resignation or a resigning issue is there that the person is let go, it is not good for the organisation to extend anything."

Although his retirement notice runs out next Thursday, 28 February, he had expected to be in the post for another few months until a successor was appointed.

The Policing Board was split nine to nine on the issue, but decided by a majority vote to ask Sir Ronnie to extend his tenure.

Sir Ronnie said he believed the decision was in the "best interest of the Police Service of Northern Ireland at this time".

Sir Ronnie Flanagan has tendered his resignation

Sir Ronnie's deputy Colin Cramphorn has been asked to act up until a new chief constable is chosen, probably in June.

After the decision was taken, Alex Attwood of the nationalist SDLP described Sir Ronnie as a "lame duck" chief constable.

Unionist representatives on the board said the decision would minimise disruption while they looked for a new chief constable.

Colin Cramphorn, 45, was appointed deputy chief constable in Northern Ireland in September 1998.

Not complete

The first phase of the changes to policing since the November changeover from the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is not yet complete.

The first trainees recruited on a 50:50 Catholic-Protestant basis to the Police Service of Northern Ireland do not complete their training until 5 April.

And that is the day the new service's uniform and badge are to be introduced.

On Tuesday, the Home Office announced that Sir Ronnie was to become one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary.

However, the last few months have been a very difficult period for Sir Ronnie in the chief constable's post following the publication of a critical report by Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan on the force's handling of the Omagh bombing investigation.

Mrs O'Loan criticised Sir Ronnie's judgement over the investigation and a public row between the two offices developed after the chief constable dismissed the report as "inaccurate" and "flawed".

The Policing Board intervened in the dispute last month, recommending that an officer from a force from outside Northern Ireland should be brought in to oversee the Omagh inquiry, in what was seen as an attempt to broker a compromise.