Orde pledge over campaign of intimidation

Chief Constable Hugh Orde today pledged to track down republicans involved in a growing campaign of intimidation against Catholic members of policing boards in Northern Ireland.

As detectives questioned four men and a woman in Strabane, Co Tyrone, about the death threats, Mr Orde warned there would be no let-up.

He said: “We are determined to get to the bottom of this and identify the people who are breaking the law and terrifying people who are determined to work with us.”

With two policing representatives, one in Strabane and a second in Co Fermanagh, having already quit amid fears for their lives, the alert has intensified right across Northern Ireland’s 26 District Policing Partnerships.

The Real IRA, the rogue republican terror organisation, which killed 29 people in the Omagh bombing, has told all Catholics who sit on the bodies they are under death threat.

Earlier Mr Orde met SDLP leader Mark Durkan, who has called on the Provisional IRA to issue a statement to say it is not involved in the campaign.

The Chief Constable insisted it was up to the provos to decide if they wanted to make a declaration.

But hitting out at the dissidents he added: “This group of people are so marginalised that they are mindless, they are bullies and they are thugs.”

The terrorists have already set alight cars belonging to two DPP members and planted a hoax bomb at the home of another.

A death threat was also issued against Denis Bradley, a former priest and Vice Chairman of the Central Policing Board in Belfast.

Mr Orde, who was in Strabane earlier today, confirmed he would be meeting Mr Bradley later to discuss personal security.