NIO dismisses police change

The Northern Ireland Office has dismissed a claim that the RUC is to be renamed under new legislation. According to a report in yesterday's Sunday Life, the British government plans to radically alter the make-up of the force and to change its name to the Northern Ireland Police Service. However, an NIO spokesman said: "The name of the RUC and its status has been preserved. This is draft legislation and the term RUC is used throughout."