O'Loan furious at moves to curb Ombudsman power

The North's Police Ombudsman is furious at proposals to limit her powers to investigate controversial cases.

New proposals in a recently published report on policing, which it had been thought would increase the Ombudsman's powers, actually have the opposite effect.

The office of the Ombudsman is one of the most critical policing reforms, demanded by both the SDLP and Sinn Fein.

The newly published proposals were ostensibly intended to allow the office to inquire into police policy and practice, but the powers are heavily qualified.

They give the British government the power to ban an Ombudsman's inquiry on grounds of national security, if there are sensitive personnel issues, if it could put anyone in danger or could prejudice a court hearing.

It is understood the Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, is lobbying against the proposals.

Some believe, if previously enacted, they could have prevented her ground-breaking report on the police handling of the Omagh bombing.