Veteran police officers in Northern Ireland tonight launched an attack on PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde for meeting with the Sinn Fein leadership earlier this week.
Officers who worked throughout the Troubles told of their outrage at Monday's Downing St talks.
One former constable who served in Derry said: "It was disgusting to watch Hugh Orde sitting in London talking with people who were so bitterly opposed to us.
"I was a neighbourhood policeman in the Bogside during the 1970s when McGuinness was the IRA's top man. I can understand the Chief Constable is probably being swayed politically. But it was a disgrace that he met with them, especially as we asked for meetings and he more or less passed it down the line, saying it wasn't his remit."
Around 200 serving and retired officers are involved in a legal battle with the PSNI and the British government over a retirement scheme set up under the Patten blueprint for reducing the force's size. Another 4,500 police men and women have launched a separate claim for post-traumatic stress damages.
The Age Discrimination Challenge Group argue they are being forced to stay in longer than other officers with less service because they joined at a younger age. A ruling on their case, heard at the High Court in Belfast by Mr Justice Higgins, could be issued before Christmas.
The PSNI stressed Mr Orde held discussions with Sinn Fein as part of his commitment to meet anyone with a positive contribution to make to policing.
A spokeswoman added that he declined to hold talks with the officers because of the court battle. "Due to the ongoing legal proceedings involving representatives of this group the Chief Constable was advised it would be inappropriate to meet with them."