Sinn Fein has criticised the chairman of the Police Federation for saying he had "no problem" with officers being members of the Orange Order. Mr Les Rodgers, who was speaking to the Northern Ireland Select Committee in London, said: "My view is pure and simple; you are a policeman first and foremost and anything outside is irrelevant."
Mr Rodgers stressed that membership of any organisation had to be subjugated to an officer's role in the RUC. But Sinn Fein councillor Ms Chrissie McAuley claimed Mr Rodgers had "endorsed" the Orange Order, "a sectarian, unionist" body. SDLP councillor Mr Alex Attwood said Mr Rodger's comments were "unhelpful and typical".