The response from the public in Northern Ireland to the Patten report on policing is polarised along religious lines, according to a new opinion poll. While 69 per cent of Catholics broadly approve of the recommendations, 65 per cent of Protestants disapprove.
The poll, carried out by Ulster Marketing Surveys at 44 sampling points throughout the North from September 10th to 12th, comprising a representative sample of 1,020 people, also shows a five-point drop in support for the Belfast Agreement.
Protestant disapproval of the Patten report is more strongly voiced than Catholic approval in the polling data.
Forty-six per cent of Protestants say they "strongly disapprove" compared to 30 per cent of Catholics who "strongly approve" of the 175 recommendations on police reform contained in the document.
The SDLP and Sinn Fein both register similar support levels for the report, with 71 per cent and 73 per cent saying respectively that they "strongly approve" or "tend to approve".
Among UUP supporters 48 per cent "strongly disapprove" of the document, with 68 per cent of DUP voters giving a similar response.
There appears to be growing unease among Protestants towards the Belfast Agreement, with 39 per cent of Protestants saying they would still vote Yes compared to 59 per cent in April 1999 and 51 per cent in May 1998.
Catholic support for the agreement is holding steady at 97 per cent. Overall support for the Belfast Agreement has dropped from 71 per cent in May 1998 to the current level of 66 per cent.