British government urged to end Police Reserve uncertainty

THE British Government was under pressure last night to drop one of its police reforms in Northern Ireland to help the security forces cope with sectarian violence.

Following Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn’s warning that his officers were being “stretched to the limit” during street clashes in Belfast, Ulster Unionists demanded the retention of 2,207 full-time reserve police officers.

As nationalists staged protests in various parts of the city against what they said was a loyalist pogrom against them, the UUP insisted republicans were orchestrating the violence.