North police chief calls for parades review after disturbances

NORTHERN IRELAND Chief Constable Hugh Orde yesterday called for a review of parades legislation.

Mr Orde told the Northern Ireland Policing Board that the law in relation to parade followers needed clarifying before the next marching season.

“We are not comfortable with any situation that can lead to misunderstanding and ambiguity,” he said.

Police came under fierce criticism when they escorted 250 marchers past angry protesters in the Ardoyne in north Belfast on July 12.

Nationalists accused the police of overturning the Parades Commission ruling, which ruled only lodge members and marshals could take part on the return leg of the parade.

It was revealed at yesterday’s Policing Board meeting that police hope to identify at least 21 people involved in rioting, which led to 25 police officers and six soldiers being injured.

Mr Orde said, while the marching season had been relatively peaceful, the cost of policing this year’s parades had run into millions.

The deployment of tactical support units in Belfast alone had cost £1million this summer.

“I don’t think the time can be far off when everyone, the police service, those who want to march, those who wish to protest and other key stakeholders in the community recognise that this level of commitment is simply not sustainable,” Mr Orde said.

Ulster Unionist board member Sam Foster, referring to a situation where soldiers were attacked in Ardoyne, asked if police were short of personnel on the day.

He called for assurances that the security forces would not be subjected to such levels of danger and humiliation in future.

Mr Orde said members of the Parachute Regiment had shown incredible restraint when confronted.

He denied the problem was due to lack of resources: “It was a question of deploying from an area where there was no trouble to an area where there was.”