Sinn Fein/Orde meeting 'upfront'

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams met PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde

Sinn Fein leaders have had their first meeting with Northern Ireland's chief constable since the party agreed to back the police service.

Gerry Adams led a delegation to meet Sir Hugh Orde - their first time inside PSNI Headquarters in east Belfast.

Mr Adams said they had an "upfront discussion on a range of issues".

"We think this is a very important first step in a whole process of delivering a new relationship between our community and the police," he said.

"We as a leadership are satisfied that in terms of community policing that a new relationship can be produced in dealing with all of the crimes which beset the community," he added.

"We went through all of that in some great detail."

Mr Adams said the issue of collusion and the recent report by the Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in which she said there had been police collusion in up to 15 loyalist murders was also discussed.

Sir Hugh did not comment after the meeting, treating it as he would talks with any other political party.