Catholics ‘afraid to join North force’

INCREASING numbers of Catholics are refusing to join Northern Ireland’s police service because they fear being attacked, it was claimed yesterday.

As Chief Constable Hugh Orde faces new demands to halt a rising tide of crime draining public confidence in his force, a major assessment of police performance revealed the problems in achieving religious balance.

Even though the Policing Board’s annual report confirmed Catholic staffing levels in the staunchly Protestant service rose from 8.9% to 11.7%, survey results reveal why more of them will not come forward.