Police anger at poll advert's Chief Constable claims

Police chiefs have complained about an election advertisement they believe questioned the independence of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde, it emerged today.

Senior officers told Policing Board chairman Professor Desmond Rea of their deep unhappiness with claims made by the nationalist SDLP.

The party suggested they were responsible for the appointment of Mr Orde and the departure of his predecessor, Ronnie Flanagan.

Even though the Police Service of Northern Ireland denied hardline unionist claims that the Chief Constable has lodged an official complaint with the board, close colleagues have hit out at the advertisement.

Mr Orde’s number two, Paul Leighton, is understood to have contacted Prof Rea soon after it appeared in a Belfast newspaper this week.

“The PSNI considered putting something in writing and then thought better of it,” one informed source said.

“They decided to rise above all the electioneering, but Leighton did speak to the chairman.”

The SDLP advertisement appeared to take credit for getting rid of the old Royal Ulster Constabulary, British symbols and the controversial Special Branch.

But there was anger throughout the force at the other sections, which claimed the party had got rid of Ronnie Flanagan and brought Mr Orde in.

Sources on the board claimed the row has been festering for months.

With the SDLP publicly attempting to thwart Democratic Unionist gains in the November 26 poll to the Stormont Assembly, the anti-Good Friday Agreement party today went on the offensive.

DUP candidate Ian Paisley Jr said: “I understand that Hugh Orde has actually lodged an official complaint with the policing board about the SDLP using his name in their political campaign.

“The SDLP has a few questions to answer now on this one.”

A PSNI spokeswoman insisted no official correspondence had been made.

“It’s not the case at the moment,” she said.

However, it is believed staff have been warned that policing issues could be exploited by all sides during the increasingly bitter election.

As the row escalated, the nationalist party insisted it had no regrets about either of two advertisements it ran this week.

A spokesman said: “The SDLP stands by every word of both.”