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6.1 News: Declan McBennett reports on a decision to reduce the PSNI reserve which currently has almost 1,500 members
The Chief Constable of the PSNI, Hugh Orde, has confirmed that he will reduce by more than half the full-time PSNI reserve, which currently has almost 1,500 members.
Mr Orde announced his decision to retain 680 reservists at a meeting of the North's Policing Board in Belfast.
In response, the North's police federation, which represents rank and file officers, passed a motion of no confidence in Mr Orde.
Nationalists had put pressure on Mr Orde to scrap the full-time reserve, while Unionists had waged an intense campaign for its retention.
The full-time reserve has faced an uncertain future since the publication of the Patten Report on police reform in the North in 1999.
The Patten Commission recommended disbanding the reserve force.
