Police chief condemned over disloylty claim

Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde's shock allegation of disloyalty among some of his officers has heightened the level of disillusionment within the force, it was claimed today.

Union representatives are expected to seek a meeting once Mr Orde returns to Belfast from New York, where he said some of his own men wanted him to fail.

Questions are also likely to be raised at the next meeting of the Northern Ireland Police Board.

Mr Orde, the former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police who took over from Sir Ronnie Flanagan last September, has admitted he faces huge financial and manpower difficulties.

But claims of disloyalty to the US national committee on foreign policy have astonished some of his senior officers.

Ian Paisley Jnr, a member of the Policing Board, said today: "His outburst was unprofessional, naïve and plain silly and will only add to the disillusionment of many within the service."