Dispute over PSNI money resolved

The government and the policing board have said they have resolved a dispute over funding.

However, the deal only came after the police agreed to postpone a number of projects and the board was allowed to take money from the 2009 budget.

The PSNI is facing a shortfall of £24.5m during the next four months.

Security Minister Paul Goggins has agreed to provide an additional £1.5m to the Historical Enquiries Team, but no more than that.

The police have agreed to delay projects costing £15m until next year, and the policing board will be allowed to spend almost £8m from next year's budget.

Board member Delores Kelly of the SDLP has welcomed the agreement, but warned that a possible financial crisis has simply been postponed.

"What it has done is to push more pressure onto next year in terms of the police budget," she said.

The board is to ask the first and deputy first ministers to lobby the prime minister for more money.