Police in '£87m ear damage claim'

Police in NI will have to pay out £87m because officers were not offered ear protection during firearms training, a member of the Policing Board has said.

The BBC has learned that more than £5.5m has already been paid out to 515 former and serving police officers. A further 1,236 claims have been lodged.

Basil McCrea said it was a "legacy of the Troubles" and the government should pay the compensation.

The Policing Board is to meet on Thursday to discuss the PSNI's budget.

Mr McCrea said the board was told by Security Minister Paul Goggins "we'll just have to sort it ourselves".

"It is not possible for us to sort out ourselves, it is a legacy issue and Paul Goggins and Westminster must bring forward money otherwise we are going to see a reduction in policing," said Mr McCrea.

A PSNI statement said senior officers would meet the board on Thursday "to discuss the very difficult financial pressures that the police service is facing".

The statement said other pressures on the budget included a civil service equal pay claim and changes in elements of the police pension scheme.

"The service must look at another £21m savings in the second half of this financial year.

"If we are to achieve those savings we may have to make some very difficult choices."

An NIO spokeswoman said: "There is an agreed procedure for dealing with legal claims.

"In the first instance it is a matter for the Chief Constable and the Policing Board."

In the Republic of Ireland, the government has paid out hundreds of millions of euro to serving and former personnel for hearing loss they said they suffered after being exposed to gunfire in the course of their work.

In January, the Irish Times reported the cost of paying out deafness claims lodged by Irish soldiers had passed 280m euro.

A total of 16,791 claims had been made.