The Ulster Unionist leader has said that his party was not declining in principle to take up their seats on the new Policing Board. However, David Trimble said that they had told the Northern Secretary that there were some issues on which they sought further clarification. He said that he was now back from his holidays and was ready to deal with the matter if Dr Reid was available for talks.
Mr Trimble insisted that the arrests of three men in Colombia on suspicion of training the rebel group, FARC, was the most important issue because of the light it shed on the intentions of the Republican movement.
He said that Republicans were to blame for the mountain they had to climb before Unionists would agree to nominate a First Minister and restore the Stormont institutions. He added that all other issues were a "distracton".
Earlier today, Ulster Unionist Assembly members did not take any firm decision on policing at their meeting at Stormont. A party spokesman said that they had a very positive and constructive discussion during the meeting chaired by David Trimble.
The party officers will meet tomorrow afternoon and the Executive will meet on Saturday morning.
In a statement, the Assembly members condemned recent attacks in the North. They denounced the bomb attempt in Ballycastle, County Antrim, as well as attacks on Catholic and Protestant homes in recent days.
They said that these "mindless attacks served only to heighten tension and drag society backwards". They expressed concern at recent sectarian attacks on Protestant and Catholic homes and the rising level of paramilitary crime.
Nigel Dodds of the DUP said that the cause of policing was being sacrificed by those in the UUP who sought to turn it into an "attack on the DUP". The North Belfast MP said that this "blinkered" strategy only played into the hands of those who would seek to divide Unionism and undermine the cause of effective policing. He said that it was time for Ulster Unionists to join with the DUP in a strategy which had been proven to work for the SDLP.
Sean Neeson, Alliance Party leader, said that any substantial delay in forming the new Police Board would have tragic consequences for ordinary people in the North.
