The vice-chairman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board tonight faced demands for his resignation over claims that ex-paramilitary prisoners should be allowed to join the North’s new force.
A row erupted within the fledgling body after Mr Denis Bradley reportedly said there was no reason why released terrorists should not be recruited to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Mr Sammy Wilson, a hardline Democratic Unionist on the board, called the idea insane.
The East Belfast Assemblyman said: "If that's Denis Bradley's views on policing then I think he should get out."
According to The Sunday Times, Mr Bradley said the British and Irish governments agreed to look at the issue of letting former paramilitaries sit on district police partnership boards during the Weston Park peace talks last August.
He added: "I think that if former political prisoners are actually allowed to sit in DPPs then there is no wild reason why they couldn't become policemen themselves.
"I find it quite difficult to deal with a situation in which people who were prisoners can be in government but can't be in the police." But unionist and nationalist political representatives on the board tonight poured scorn on the idea.
Mr Alex Attwood, one of three SDLP members of the 19-strong scrutinising body, insisted his party had no part in the Weston Park document.
Allowing ex-terrorists to join the DPPs was the Irish and British governments' responsibility, he stressed.
The West Belfast MLA added: "That was their call; the SDLP are not calling for it now nor are we going to."
Mr Wilson was outraged by the prospect, which comes just days after the first batch of PSNI recruits graduated and the force's new uniform and badge were introduced.
"It's a madcap idea," he said. "It's bad enough that we have kitted out police men and women in baseball caps but if Denis Bradley has his way we will have to kit them out with baseball bats as well.
"These people have terrorised the community, they are hardly the sort of police we should be recruiting. He should know full well the unacceptable controversy on the board this will cause and he should resign."
Mr Bradley has reportedly already discussed the issue with an organisation representing former republican inmates.
The former priest, who helped broker secret peace negotiations between the Government and the IRA which led to the Provisionals' ceasefire, was tonight unavailable for comment.
A spokeswoman for the board insisted he was speaking in a personal capacity.
"He wasn't speaking on behalf of the board," she said. "This issue has not been discussed by the board."
PA
