Patten tells Sinn Féin to ‘get off the fence’ on policing

SINN FÉIN should get off the fence and encourage Catholics to join the police force in the North, European Commissioner Chris Patten said yesterday.

He said republicans must step forward and show their commitment to democracy and fair policing for all.

Sinn Féin has said it will not take its seats on the cross-party policing board, which oversees the force, until the Patten proposals for reform of the service are implemented in full.