Ulster's most senior police officer last night hit out at the Prime
Minister's failure to include the province in plans allowing phone tap
evidence to be used in court.
Sir Hugh Orde said there was no "logical reason" why the move -
which sparked fury with rights campaigners - would only apply to England and
Wales.
Speaking at the Northern Ireland Affairs committee in
Westminster Sir Hugh pointed out that the province was excluded from
legislation in a raft of areas, including the Crime and Disorder Act and
that he had not been told why Ulster was left out of yesterday's
developments.
He told MPs: "I can't think of a logical reason
that would exclude Northern Ireland from that debate.
"I would
be concerned if I was excluded."
Gordon Brown paved the way
for some phone tap evidence to be used in court - provided safeguards are
met.
Whitehall officials will work alongside the Chilcott
committee, led by former top civil servant Sir John Chilcott, to try to find
a way of using evidence, including phone taps and the interception of other
electronic communications, in prosecutions but only in England and Wales.
In a Commons statement the Prime Minister said the issue was "a central
dilemma that we face as a free society - that of preserving our liberties
and the rule of law, while at the same time keeping our nation safe and
secure."
But Sir Hugh only learnt of the development shortly
before yesterday's meeting.
He was in London to give evidence at
the first Commons session of the committee's inquiry into Policing and
Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland.
Following the announcement
yesterday that Ulster was on terror alert, he said there was a "clear
attempt to escalate" attacks on police by dissident republicans to
disrupt what had been achieved.
He raised the attacks on three
officers last year, explaining it was down to the huge efforts of police
teams that more officers had not been shot.
He added: "We have
done a lot to create space to let Northern Ireland move on."
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