British Army ends North campaign

The British Army’s 38-year military campaign in the North ended at midnight.

From today the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will police the North and take on the small groups of dissident republicans still seeking to destabilise it.

Chief Constable Hugh Orde said his force was up to the job and no longer needed the support of the army such was the sea-change in the political and security situation.

Operation Banner – the army’s support role for the police – was the longest in British military history and involved some 300,000 military personnel.

When the first troops arrived it was believed they would be gone in weeks - nearly four decades later their job is finally done.

There has been no sudden last minute departure, troops have been gradually withdrawn and numbers were below the 5,000 ceiling in good time for the ending of the military operation.

PSNI chief Hugh Orde expressed confidence his officers can cope without army support.

He revealed there had been no reliance on back-up from the army for many months.

“For many months now we have not relied at all on our military colleagues for support to deliver normal policing,” he said.

“The world has moved on very quickly in Northern Ireland. Policing is in absolute control of policing, which you would expect to see anywhere in the United Kingdom.

“We have been fortunate to be able rely on additional resources. We don’t need them any more.”

He added: “It suits us, it suits the military – they are very busy in other theatres of war.