Letter: Royal Ulster Constabulary

Letter: Royal Ulster Constabulary

Sir: After looking at the role of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Members of the British Parliament have decided that in the future those joining the RUC cannot belong to any organisation associated with marching. For this decision to be made the Members of Parliament must have found problems with the RUC's policing during the previous marching season.

More than 95 per cent of the RUC are on the Protestant/ Unionist side of the divide. While it is right to address the problem of sectarianism with those wishing to join the RUC in the future, the problem of sectarianism within the established force is still not being addressed. To have a police force that is fair, more radical changes must be made. Membership must be representative of all sections of the community. To achieve this there must be more than just window dressing. The RUC must be disbanded, replaced with a force that is able to gain the trust of all of the people who live in the Six Counties. Then and only then will understanding and tolerance be achieved.

CHRISTOPHER ARMSTRONG

Address withheld