North's New Police Service

Sir, - Your Editorial of June 27th contains a blatant error

Sir, - Your Editorial of June 27th contains a blatant error. There is no evidence that the Police Service of Northern Ireland has received a third of its applications from nationalists. Even the recruiters themselves do not claim this.

The facile equating of nationalist and Catholic counts among the neophyte's errors in commentary on Northern Ireland. It is depressing to think that such an error passed your checks at a time when these issues are controversial.

However, things have reached the point where there must be a suspicion that The Irish Times is distorting the facts in order to advance a particular agenda. - Yours, etc.,

Frank Fitzpatrick, St Kevin's Parade, Dublin 8.