Law and Orde: Throw mud at a white van and some of it will stick

NORTHERN Ireland chief constable Hugh Orde has been put on a par with the Pope. Like His Holiness speaking ex cathedra when he addresses matters of faith and morals, Mr Orde has been vested with the quality of infallibility since pronouncing that the IRA was responsible for beggaring the Northern Bank in Belfast.

The robbery took place on December 20, but the chief constable didn't say a word about it publicly until late in the first week of January. He probably didn't want to upset anybody's Christmas or new year celebrations by mentioning the empty bank vaults.

When he did say a word, everybody took it as gospel except Sinn Féin and the IRA. Having met with members of the policing board, the chief constable declared that the IRA was responsible for making the unauthorised withdrawals.