Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne resigns from his post
He had been facing calls to quit after a number of recent controversies
It comes after a “very significant” meeting of the NI Policing Board, says vice-chair Edgar Jardine
The board questioned Byrne for five hours in a meeting last Thursday after a court ruled that two officers were unlawfully disciplined for an arrest at a Troubles commemoration event
That came after the details of 10,000 police officers and staff were mistakenly revealed on the internet last month
In a statement read on behalf of Byrne, he said "the last few days have been very difficult" and it's time for a new leader
In Northern Ireland, PSNI workers face continuing threat from paramilitaries and often protect their identities to maintain personal security
You can watch the police press conference by clicking play at the top of this page
Less than an hour ago, in a press conference following an emergency meeting of Northern Ireland's Policing Board, Simon Byrne's resignation was announced.
It came after days of mounting pressure.
Watch the moment Mr Byrne's resignation was announced below.
Policing Board chair Deirdre Toner announces that the resignation of PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne
Mark Simpson
BBC News NI
A summer of discontent proved to be the downfall of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne.
A full vote of confidence at the start of June rapidly eroded as he lurched from crisis to crisis.
The month of August proved to be catastrophic for him.
Read more about where it all went wrong here.
The Policing Board press conference has come to an end.
As Deirdre Toner said, "this is breaking news".
They delivered the verdict and have resumed for further meetings this afternoon.
What we've learned so far:
Stay with us as we bring you live reaction and analysis on this news story.
Image source, House of CommonsDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has welcomed the resignation of Simon Byrne.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he says it was the “right thing to do” under the circumstances.
He says his party will work with the Policing Board to deliver effective policing in a “way which commands cross-community support”.
With budgetary pressures on the police service, vice-chairman Edgar Jardine said now "more than ever" policing requires the full support of political and civil society.
He said: "Policing I think has moved on significantly in the last 25 years; unfortunately society hasn't moved on in the same way.
"So we have problems now I expect that whenever the PSNI was established we didn't imagine would still be with us."
The press conference finishes soon after.
When asked how the PSNI will recover from this, Jardine acknowledges that policing in Northern Ireland operates "in a very difficult environment".
He says the board expects the highest standards pf behaviour within the police service.
"We are also dealing with a very difficult funding situation," he adds.
"We are asking a great deal of our police service."
NI Policing Board chair Deirdre Toner and vice-chair Edgar Jardine
BBC News NI asks why Byrne changed his mind on resigning, having insisted he wasn't quitting last week.
Edgar Jardine says last Thursday's meeting of the Policing Board was "very significant", as was the subsequent scathing statement from the Police Federation.
The federation, which represents rank and file officers, said they were "disgusted, disillusioned and extremely angry" by Byrne's leadership.
"His position then would have been very, very difficult, I think," Mr Jardine adds.
Vice-chairman Edgar Jardine says Simone Byrne "always had the good and the welfare of his force at the forefront of his mind."
He added that critical statements from Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, and Nipsa, which represents civilian PSNI staff, had a "quite significant impact" on Mr Byrne's decision.
Last week, the chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said he was "disgusted, disillusioned and extremely angry" at the leadership of the chief constable.
When Simon Byrne announced he wanted to appeal a High Court ruling that found perceived political pressure had led to a decision to discipline two junior officers, Liam Kelly said his members had expressed "disbelief and anger".
"If he does appeal, we expect he will use the PSNI budget which is already stretched to breaking point," he added.
Deirdre Toner says the Policing Board has a "corporate responsibility" to make sure there is accountability and oversight.
"We have scrutiny and we have responsibility," she says.
Deirdre Toner reads a statement on behalf of the former PSNI chief constable.
"The last few days have been very difficult for all concerned regardless of the rights and wrongs - it is now time for someone new to lead this proud and resolute organisation.
"Can I thank those who have shown me trust advice and friendship and of course thanks to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland."
The chair of the Policing Board, Deirdre Toner, tells reporters the chief constable has handed in his resignation with immediate effect.
She thanks him for his service and says his tenure has faced difficulty in recent days.
There are 19 people on the policing board, which holds the chief constable to account.
Ten are political and nine are independent.
Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) each have three seats on the board.
A special session of the board can be called if seven members request it.
Image source, PacemakerA press conference involving the heads of the Policing Board has begun.
You can watch live by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent
It has already been quite the afternoon.
Reporters were summoned inside Policing Board HQ only 15 minutes ago.
Policing board members arrived shortly before that and, we’re told, were advised of the chief constable’s intention to step down.
They accepted his resignation.
It is a significant moment for the board and the organisation.
Who replaces Mr Byrne and what are the terms of his exit?
We will soon find out.
If you've not been following this story, you might not know what the controversies at the top of Northern Ireland's police service have been. So how have we got here?
Firstly, a major data breach saw the names of 10,000 officers and civilian staff mistakenly released as part of a response to a Freedom of Information request.
It was one of a number of data breaches involving information about staff. And in Northern Ireland, police staff generally take measures to hide their identities, due to the ongoing risk of attack from dissident republicans.
Then last week, a High Court judge in Belfast ruled two junior officers were unlawfully disciplined for an arrest made at a Troubles commemoration event in February 2021. The judge said they were disciplined to allay any threat of Sinn Féin abandoning its support for policing in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin insisited there was no such threat.
Low morale within the service has been reported in recent months, with some staff saying they fear for their safety over the breaches.
Image source, PA MediaSimon Byrne has quit as chief constable of the PSNI after policing board members accepted his resignation, BBC News NI understands.
The Policing Board meeting began at 2.30pm - and now we're hearing that a press conference will be held shortly.
As we said, this is an emergency meeting of the board which has met four times in as many weeks.
We don't know yet what's to come but stay tuned.
Hello and welcome - we'll have live updates as the future of Northern Ireland’s top police officer hangs in the balance.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne has been facing calls to resign after a number of recent controversies – now an emergency meeting of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board, which holds the force to account, is being held with the pressure on Byrne intensifying.
We’ll have all the latest throughout the afternoon, so stay with us.