North: Probe call after police payslips blunder

Northern Ireland Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton is to demand an internal report into how the security of thousands of serving and retired police officers in the province was compromised by a computer payslip gaffe.

The blunder, which was revealed yesterday by Democratic Unionist councillor Jimmy Spratt, resulted in thousands of payslips being sent to banks and building societies last month indicating they were from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The payslips are normally accompanied with the words “Central Pay Branch” indicating they were not from the police.

The discovery prompted calls from Mr Spratt and DUP colleagues on the Policing Board for an investigation by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and by Secretary of State Peter Hain.

As police tried to establish whether the security gaffe was a case of human or computer error, Police Federation secretary Terry Spence said they had been inundated with telephone calls and emails from officers concerned about the implications for their own personal security.

“There has been a change to the software used in the Banks Automated Credit System which pays in police salaries and pensions,” he said.

“Somehow the computer managed to indicate on the payslips they were PSNI payments. As far as we can ascertain, retired and serving officers have been affected but not civilian workers.

“However, we are talking about as many as 20,000 people being affected.

“Given the situation remains volatile as far as the loyalist and republican paramilitaries are concerned, this is very worrying. We have been swamped with calls and emails from members concerned about their personal security.

“People are saying they took great care over 20 or 30 years to conceal where they worked for personal and family security reasons, only to discover they have been compromised by a police pay error. They want answers.”

Following the discovery, the PSNI asked officers who felt their personal security had been breached to take steps to ensure their safety.

A PSNI statement said yesterday: “The police are aware of a computer error in police payslips which went out to banks last month.

“If any officer feels his or her personal security has been compromised, they will review their situation.”

Mr Spence said it was normal procedure for police officers who felt their security had been compromised to submit a full report to their line managers, asking them to complete a risk assessment quickly.

The Federation, he said, had been assured that the police would also conduct their own review into what happened.

“The Deputy Chief Constable has told the Federation he will demand a report from those engaged in the process outlining the circumstances and establishing how this happened,” he said.