"It's A bloody disgrace. After all these years of risking their lives, of facing bullets and bombs, threats and insults, the RUC is being told to sling its hook," said Mr Roy McCullough on the Shankill Road yesterday.
The dominant feeling among loyalists was that republicans had won and the force that had upheld law and order was being "punished" in the new political order.
"Chris Patten has believed Sinn Fein propaganda," said Ms Elizabeth White. "The IRA caused all the trouble but it's the police who are being treated like villains."
Mr Malcolm Taylor said Mr Patten had wasted his time. No police force would ever be acceptable to the nationalist community. "There are people in the nationalist community who just don't want to be policed. Even if the policeman is one of their own, they won't want to be told what to do."
On the Falls Road, the reaction was mixed. Mr Brian Gallagher said he had not yet made up his mind on the proposals. "I will give them a try but the RUC has such a bad name in this community, it will be difficult to have faith."
Mr Gerard McCann said the report should be rejected outright. "You can change the RUC's name, give it a new oath and uniform, but it's still the RUC. It will still be enforcing the partition of this country and upholding British laws. No republican could ever join or support a force that does that."
Mr Paddy McCartney said: "The changes are cosmetic. If the policeman who takes you to Castlereagh is a Catholic, what difference does it make? If the policeman holding a plastic bullet gun speaks Irish, are we supposed to say he is all right?"
Ms Rosaleen Murphy said she hoped the Patten report would be implemented. "We need a proper police service in this community. We need a force we can trust."