'Imminent murder' forces PSNI man out

The threat level from dissident republicans is said to be at its highest level for 12 years. The leader of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, recently claimed that dissidents are attempting to kill him.

But it is not just politicians who are being threatened. Over the past 16 months, more than 50 police officers and their families have had to flee their homes after being targeted.

One male officer, who wanted to remain anonymous, has spoken about the sudden and total change to his life.

He was speaking to The World At One's Michael Buchanan.

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The moment when I found out was actually late at night.

A phone call from my local station, from the senior officer on duty, requested me to attend where I was served with a notice informing me of the threat against my life.

We then spent the night at home with armed guards protecting myself and my family, and in the early hours we left the family home for good.

The threat against me was very real, very imminent and had I not taken steps to relocate and become to a degree anonymous my murder was imminent.

My movements, my vehicles, my family members had been identified by dissident republicans.

(But) the people who targeted me don't know me.

They may assume to know who I am and what my beliefs are and what my political persuasion would happen to be.

But they don't know me.

It's purely and simply because of the fact that I chose to wear a uniform in order that I could go out and serve the public and provide them with a policing service.

My wife reacted as any wife would react.

She was standing in a home which she had put time and energy into, she had built an environment where we had raised our children into a home and I was going to tell her that because of the circumstances that is all being taken away.

The first week we spent at a safe location; nobody knew where we were.

Approximately a week later we were relocated to a safe house where we could spend six months trying to put our lives together.

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In ways it has served to force us apart, in other ways it has brought us closer together.

They grew up very quickly (but) no child should have to go through what they have gone through.

Albeit they are in their teens, they are still children and they deserve to have a normal life, but that was taken from them and any hope that things would ever be normal was taken from them at that time.

Even now that we have relocated and we have a new house we're trying to make a home, they don't like to be separated from myself or my wife for too long. An unexpected knock on the door is something which provokes a reaction.

We now have to live with that black cloud hanging over us, that at any time we could be moved again or ultimately myself or my family lose our lives as a result of this security situation.

There are times when I wish I hadn't joined the police.

The reality is that it has given me some really wonderful experiences, I've met some really wonderful people, it has provided me and my family with an income but no amount of money can replace what we have lost.

Had it not been for the work of the PSNI in locating the threat against me then obviously we could have lost so much and that's not worth it.

My feelings about the organisation have obviously changed, but I'm still there and still doing the job.

I will continue to do so, but I don't think we can let our guard down.

There are going to be a lot of years of worry and just being very careful and cautious.