Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster has said the recruitment process for the next chief constable of the PSNI has been compromised by the comments of Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald.
The current chief constable, George Hamilton, is retiring in the summer and policing board members, including a Sinn Féin representative, will have a role in selecting the replacement.
Asked about Ms McDonald’s comments, Ms Foster told the BBC: "It is very foolish of her, first of all to make the comments and then not to retract the comments, because essentially what she is doing is interfering with due process and compromising the panel appointment."
"We have asked for legal advice from the Policing Board lawyers.
"We will await to hear what they have to say but, in my opinion, she has compromised the panel, she has compromised due process and she should be big enough to acknowledge that."
