The British government tonight signalled its intention to back new Chief Constable Hugh Orde's bid to retain the full-time reserve police force in Northern Ireland.
With policing resources at full stretch because of street violence and the developing terrorist threat, Secretary of State Dr John Reid is under pressure not to axe the 2,000 jobs.
Mr Orde is to have talks with his policing board in Belfast on September 27th where he will formally request the full-timers be kept for essential front-line duty for the foreseeable future.
Under the new policing arrangements it had been planned to phase them out. But Dr Reid indicated tonight it was now down to the chief constable to make his case.
He said: "I cannot remember any occasion when the policing board and the chief constable have agreed and I have not accepted the recommendation."
The Secretary of State was today also warned Northern Ireland faces a greater terrorist threat than at any time since the Omagh bomb atrocity.
"The country is in danger of losing its grip on the ability to guarantee a reasonably peaceful life to its people," claimed Police Federation chief Irwin Montgomery.
"We have firm evidence that the paramilitaries are re-arming in anticipation of a collapse of the political institutions."
His new assessment of the security threat was delivered at the federation's annual conference near Belfast, attended by Dr Reid.
PA