Unionists to quit Police Board if Sinn Fein join

The Ulster Unionists have threatened to resign their seats on the Police Board if Sinn Fein ends its boycott and takes up two seats on the board.

UUP leader, David Trimble, has said next week's expected announcement that the British government will allow ex-prisoners to sit on local police boards is a "sop to Sinn Fein" and a breach of the Patten Report.

Mr Trimble said the Police Board has achieved far more in its present form than it would have done if Sinn Fein had already taken its two seats. He said it made no sense to allow people with criminal convictions onto the boards.

Trimble also expressed concern at plans to allow the Police Ombudsman to inquire into and report on police policies and practices. He said this fell within the remit of the Police Board and it was wrong to have two authorities on the same matter.