Northern Ireland's Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, came under renewed criticism by police officers yesterday over his decision to impose large-scale cuts in the PSNI full-time reserve.
Police Federation chairman Mr Irwin Montgomery told the union's annual conference that Northern Ireland society could pay a severe price for losing 800 officers. The decision showed policing "should be above politics and it seems it will never be allowed to".
He added: "By giving up these officers the chief constable is being allowed by the Policing Board and the government to say we have an acceptable level of criminality which he is happy to address with fewer resources."
Road blocks follow bomb alert
A major security operation began in Belfast last night after dissident republicans threatened to bomb a police station.
Road checkpoints were set up after a caller claiming to be from the Continuity IRA rang a Belfast newsroom, saying a bomb was being moved in the city. The target was said to be an unidentified police station. The threat was being treated seriously after last week's gun attack on Strand Road police station in Derry by the Real IRA.