The second batch of recruits to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland
graduated today.
At a ceremony at the Police College in Belfast 58 new probationer constables - 20 women and 38 men - were awarded certificates in Police Studies from the University of Ulster.
It was a much lower key event than the ceremony for the first 44 recruits last month but for the new officers - recruited on a 50/50 Catholic- Protestant basis - it was just as important and they were all joined by proud relatives.
During their training it was brought home to the students that Northern Ireland is still a long way from normality when they had to be evacuated from their beds in the middle of the night last month because of a bomb blast.
The bomb, planted by dissident republicans, exploded outside the rear gate of the college.
Having completed 20 weeks training they will now go on to receive 10 weeks instruction on operational skills such as driving, public order and firearms training, before going out to police stations across the province in October.
Only if they successfully complete their two years probation will they become fully-fledged constables.
Superintendent Roy Fleming, head of the training college, said the graduation was a proud day for the student officers and their families.
He said: "Today marks the formal beginning of the students' policing careers as they graduate with certificates in Policing Studies and are attested as probationer officers.
"These student officers have worked extremely hard to get to this point and have earned our congratulations today."
PA