Unionists threaten to quit policing board

Hardline unionists have threatened to withdraw from the North's policing board if the British government presses ahead with radical reforms of the PSNI.

Britain has promised to introduce legislation to bring the force more into line with the Patten Report's recommendations, but the details of the reform are still unknown.

One major sticking point could be London's apparent plans to allow ex-prisoners to sit on the 26 district policing partnership boards.

Sinn Fein has been pressing for this and the SDLP has no objections, arguing that if ex-prisoners can sit in government, they should also be allowed have a say in local policing matters.

The British government is expected to reveal the details of its planned reforms within the next two weeks.

The changes come about after British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted last month that he has failed to fully implement the Patten proposals.

Most observers hope that movement on policing will encourage Sinn Fein to join the policing board and could help to get the peace process back on track if the IRA makes concessions in return.

However, anti-agreement Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson has said his party will withdraw from the policing board if ex-prisoners are allowed sit on the district policing partnership boards.

He said convicted 'terrorists' should not be involved in policing and if the British government thinks his party will tolerate that, it is wrong.