No confidence vote in PSNI boss from Police Federation

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland has unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton.

Mr Hamilton is currently leading the organisation following the resignation of Simon Byrne as chief constable this week after a string of controversies.

The federation has also expressed no confidence in the PSNI's chief operating officer Pamela McCreedy and the assistant chief officer Clare Duffield.

The federation met on Wednesday to discuss the fallout from a High Court ruling which found that the disciplining of two junior officers following an arrest at a Troubles memorial event in 2021 was unlawful.

Federation chairman, Liam Kelly, said: "We had a thorough and detailed discussion of all the issues relating to the judicial review ruling, the treatment of our two probationer officers and the monumental data breaches.

"Our federation is of the collective view that because of his (Mr Hamilton) involvement in the decisions concerning the Ormeau Road incident, and the real or perceived political interference in that process, we can have no confidence in him.

"Furthermore, in the wider context of the management, accountability and operation of the service, my federation colleagues said they had no confidence either in the chief operating officer Ms McCreedy, and the assistant chief officer, Ms Duffield."

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton did not attend an extraordinary meeting of the Police Federation in Belfast due to an unplanned medical procedure.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "The Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton had agreed to attend today's central committee meeting with the Police Federation but has been unable to do so due to an unplanned medical procedure."