Bobby Storey funeral: Policing in NI 'never more politicised or toxic'

A large number of mourners turned out for the funeral of former IRA head of intelligence Bobby Storey in June

Policing in Northern Ireland has never been more "politicised" or "toxic in our society", the chairman of the Police Federation of NI has said.

Earlier this week, it emerged prosecutors would not charge anyone in relation to their attendance at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey.

The funeral attracted 2,000 mourners when Covid restrictions were in place.

Unionist politicians have called for PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne to step down.

Mr Storey, 64, was a senior republican figure and had been the head of intelligence for the IRA in the 1990s.

On Thursday, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a motion censuring Sinn Féin ministers for their attendance at the funeral.

The actions of 24 Sinn Féin politicians - including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill - were examined by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), but it decided not to proceed with charges.

On Thursday, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) called for the resignation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) chief constable, echoing demands made by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP).

The Police Federation of NI's chairman said he was "not surprised there was no decision to prosecute, whether that is through the actions of policing or the actions of the PPS".

Mark Lindsay is chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland

Speaking to BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme on Friday, Mark Lindsay said: "I am not surprised at the politicisation of policing, I think that is one of the most disappointing things 23 years on from the Good Friday Agreement that policing has never been more politicised, it has never been more toxic in our society.

"I think there are a lot of reasons behind that and not all to do entirely with the PSNI or its leadership."

The PSNI chief constable is not only under more pressure, but sustained pressure.

This has now taken on the look of a unionist campaign to force Simon Byrne from office.

That said, I believe he is no closer to resigning today than he was yesterday or the day before.

This is a stand-off situation.

His employers are not Arlene Foster or Steve Aiken but the Northern Ireland Policing Board and I think at this moment the belief is he can still command majority support among its 19 board members if, for the sake of argument, there would be a confidence vote at a future meeting.

UUP leader Steve Aiken said the force's leadership had "failed" and Simon Byrne no longer had his party's support.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Byrne expressed surprise at the conclusion of prosecutors during a meeting with the Policing Board.

He also said he recognised policing of the former IRA intelligence chief's funeral last June had caused outrage and damaged confidence in policing.

The decisions taken by the PSNI over Bobby Storey's funeral will also be reviewed by the UK policing watchdog.

Mr Byrne told the Policing Board that he welcomed the planned review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), which independently assesses the conduct of police forces across the UK.

On Tuesday, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron said the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 had become "extremely difficult to navigate" because of various amendments, and were in some respects "inconsistent".

He concluded that the "lack of clarity and coherence within the regulations and the prior engagement between organisers and the police" would "pose an insurmountable difficulty" if prosecutions were brought.

Simon Byrne spoke at a Policing Board meeting on Thursday

Mr Byrne said there had been no negotiations between police and the funeral organisers, and the PPS found no evidence that deals were done in the run-up to the event.

The chief constable said he recognised that people were angry.

"We are trying to make sense [of] how legitimate engagement... has put us in this situation," he said.

Mr Byrne also said the force has received legal advice which states that it cannot cancel fines issued around Black Lives Matter protests last year.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, who was the PSNI's so-called gold commander on the day of the funeral, said it was always his assessment that there was going to be more than the permitted numbers at the funeral.