Published Date:
19 November 2008
A SENIOR police officer has had to pull out of a major conference in Belfast due to a new threat to PSNI personnel from dissident republicans.
Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris had been due to speak at an anti-drugs conference in Belfast but was forced to withdraw after senior officers warned police personnel to be on full alert.
Conference organiser Tim Hollis informed delegates at the Europa Hotel of the development, but insisted there was no specific threat agains Mr Harris.
"There is a heightened security threat for colleagues from the PSNI," he said.
"Drew Harris has had to attend to that. Some of the threats from the past still remain."
A PSNI spokesperson confirmed Mr Harris' absence was due to a "heightened threat".
In recent months, dissidents have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to murder PSNI officers, particularly in the west of the Province.
This week, Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde reiterated his claim that dissidents were exploiting the recent political vacuum at Stormont
for their own ends.
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Last Updated:
19 November 2008 2:28 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Belfast
