The British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair is to hold fresh talks with unionists and nationalists in a bid to save the Northern Ireland peace process from deepening crisis, it was disclosed tonight.
With nationalists continuing to resist pressure on them to endorse Northern Ireland's new police service, Downing Street said Mr Blair will meet Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and the SDLP tomorrow as part of the "ongoing contacts" in the peace process.
The talks will take place amid plans by the RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan to press ahead with a recruitment drive later this week of the next generation of police officers.
Security sources revealed the advertisements will be broadcast within days for 240 new recruits.
Under the British Government's Police Act, equal numbers of Catholic and Protestant recruits must join the new police service.
However, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams tonight urged nationalists and republicans not to sign up to the first contingent.
The West Belfast MP said: "If this recruitment campaign comes into being, it will be seen as a signal that the British Government has given up on the search for a new policing service.
"Given that this is recruitment to an old force, no democrat would want to be a part of this.
"Policing is such an important issue, such a central issue, it needs to be got right and the responsibility lies with the British gGovernment to get it right."
There was also a cool response to reports of the recruitment drive from the deputy leader of the SDLP and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon.
Side-stepping questions about whether he would urge young nationalists to apply when the recruitment advertisements appeared, he said: "There is no new policing board in place yet.
"There are none of the new arrangements for the new police service in place yet. Let's take it one step at a time.
"I wish well to anybody who decides to respond to that advertisement."
The SDLP's refusal to nominate members to the Policing Board was under fire again tonight from Ulster Unionists, with North Belfast MP Cecil Walker accusing them of being "gutless".
Mr Walker argued: "The SDLP's actions and lack of moral courage on this issue are clearly no different from Sinn Féin/IRA.
"They have only been interested in taking all but giving nothing in return. In short, the SDLP has demonstrated sheer gutlessness."
PA