A former US law enforcement chief charged with overseeing police reforms in Northern Ireland has accused IRA dissidents of trying to wreck attempts to boost Catholic support for the force.
As Mr Tom Constantine delivered his eighth progress report on the reforms, a Catholic local police board member resigned after what she said was intimidation from republicans.
Ms Teresa Rooney's resignation was confirmed by the District Policing Partnership (DPP) board in Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
Last week a Catholic part-time farmer, Mr Cathal O'Dolan, quit a local board in Co Fermanagh after death threats.
Meanwhile, in the border town of Strabane, police saidanother local board member's car had been burned in an arson attack.
Local DPP boards were set up across Northern Ireland earlier this year, and are intended to promote wider Catholic support for the mostly Protestant police force.
Yesterday Northern Ireland's police chief Hugh Orde saiddissident factions of the IRA were involved in a campaign of intimidation against Catholics in an effort to prevent them playing a role in police reforms.
Speaking at the launch of his latest report, OversightCommissioner Mr Tom Constantine said the threats against DPP members were "an attempt to destroy the...reforms programme".
"Without the devotion and efforts of these individuals it is unlikely that the new beginning would ever come about," he said.