Arlene Foster: After Bobby Storey funeral SF criticism of PSNI rings utterly hollow

She criticised a “trial by social media” of officers over their response to a gathering to mark the anniversary of a loyalist atrocity.

“We have met the chief constable and articulated our serious concerns as to the damage of these decisions and told him we want to be furnished with the facts,” she said.

“The matter has been referred to the police ombudsman. Decisions about the matter should have been made at the completion of that investigation.

“Given the antics of Sinn Fein at the Storey funeral and their disregard for Covid-19 rules, their criticism of the police rings utterly hollow.”

Mrs Foster said there is a duty on the organisers of commemorations to act in compliance with the law.

“While we understand the need for a proportionate and sensitive policing response, operational decisions must be fair and balanced. There should be no apology for enforcing the rule of law,” she added.

Earlier, a DUP Policing Board member reiterated the party’s claim that the officers involved in the arrest at the Sean Graham bookmaker’s commemoration on Friday had been made scapegoats.

MLA Thomas Buchanan said: “Two young officers are being made scapegoats by the chief constable. That is not acceptable and questions have to be answered.”

Mr Buchanan queried whether Chief Constable Simon Byrne was put under pressure by Sinn Fein. “Where is the protection for police officers going out to do a job that they have been trained to do and then subjected to trial by social media?” he asked.

Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill met Mr Byrne today for “forthright and frank” talks.

She reiterated: “I made it clear that the events of last week, both the arrest of a victim laying flowers ... and the PSNI’s failure to intervene as dozens of masked UVF members roamed the streets, have created a crisis in public confidence in policing.”

But UUP justice spokesman Doug Beattie tweeted: “I am sick of watching the PSNI be dragged around by the scruff of the neck, by always having to meet somebody’s narrative, always having to meet somebody’s agenda. For us to dump blame on the police every single time is utterly disgraceful.”