Police Board still in talks over Flanagan's future

The North’s police board is locked in talks this afternoon over whether police chief constable Ronnie Flanagan should remain in his job until a suitable replacement is found.

Mr Flanagan announced his retirement last November, with his three-month notification period due to expire this month.

However, he offered to stay on for a few extra months if the Police Board requested such a move.

The board will decide today whether to keep Mr Flanagan on or allow his resignation to take effect next Thursday and appoint deputy chief constable Colin Cramphorn in his place.

The SDLP’s Alex Atwood, a member of the Police Board, said today that Mr Flanagan will definitely have left office by June, fuelling speculation that his resignation might be delayed for a few months.