Officers can leave Northern Ireland's full-time police reserve force with redundancy packages worth up to £100,000 (€146,000), it was revealed last night.
As the Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, prepared to make a critical decision on the future of 1,500 men and women, details emerged of the deal which has been accepted by union officials representing the rank and file.
The total pay-off is expected to cost the British government up to £100 million. Mr Orde was holding another meeting with his senior command last night amid demands on British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, not to slash numbers. It is believed Mr Orde will retain more than half the reservists, despite fierce pressure from republicans and nationalists to disband the force completely.
The Rev Ian Paisley said he had telephoned Mr Blair to warn him that it would be a huge mistake to let too many officers go amid current crime levels. "I told the Prime Minister that he has only one option, to keep in place as many officers as are available to do the job. No right-thinking person could contemplate getting rid of up to 1,500 officers at a time when all these problems are obvious for all to see," he said. - (PA)
