Congressman hints SF will join policing board

One of Sinn Féin's most senior supporters in the US has hinted that the party is poised to take its place on the Northern Ireland policing board.

On the eve of the pre-St Patrick's Day visit by pro-Agreement parties to Washington, Congressman Peter King said he was hopeful that Sinn Féin would make the announcement in the near future.

The delegation of Northern Ireland politicians meeting senior US administration officials, including President George W Bush, at the White House, will also include the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Mr Hugh Orde.

Mr King said he was looking forward to meeting Mr Orde in Washington. "I have not met him. I will be meeting him this week for the first time and everything I have heard about him is good," he said.

"I think he is certainly going in the right direction - I think it is only a matter of time before Sinn Féin signs on."

The SDLP's policing spokesman, Mr Alex Attwood, welcomed Mr King's comment, saying his party wanted to work with Sinn Féin to achieve "radical policing change".

Mr Attwood, MLA for West Belfast, urged republicans to join the police board before it was too late. "It is clear that the SDLP jumped at precisely the right time to implement Patton and Sinn Féin will jump too late".

The annual White House reception is taking place tomorrow, four days early, in anticipation of a US-led attack on Iraq next week.

The Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, the SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan and the UUP head, Mr David Trimble, will all attend.