Relatives of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane have urged Nationalists not to accept a watered-down inquiry into the killing as part of any deal to secure their backing for new policing arrangements. In a letter to the British Prime Minister the family insisted that they would accept nothing less than a full-scale public inquiry , along the lines of the Bloody Sunday Tribunal underway in Derry. The letter, also circulated to the Taoiseach, the SDLP and Sinn Féin said that it would be unfortunate if the Nationalist parties took the view that something less than what the families are seeking would be acceptable.
More than 4,369 calls have been made to the recruitment line dealing with applications for the new police service for Northern Ireland. A total of 240 new recruits are being sought and will be chosen on a 50-50 Catholic-Protestant basis from those who meet the entry criteria. The current police force, the RUC, is more than 90% Protestant. It is hoped that the new officers of the Police Force of Northern Ireland will be on the streets next Spring. 120 people from the Republic are among those who have sought application forms.
