Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill attending police recruitment event called 'seismic and historic'

Ms O'Neill's attendance at the PSNI's training college on Tuesday morning comes amid efforts to encourage more young nationalists to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Police commanders did not know until less than an hour before her arrival that the republican leader would be attending the launch of the campaign to recruit 600 new officers.

She joined DUP First Minister Arlene Foster as they posed for photographs with Mr Byrne holding up posters promoting the PSNI as a positive career choice.

"I think it's seismic and historic in terms of the history of the PSNI and the commitment we have heard from Sinn Fein today, and indeed all political leaders who have joined us in this launch," said Mr Byrne.

Sinn Fein had previously been accused of not doing enough to advocate policing as a career.

Mr Byrne, who had called on nationalist and republican leaders to be more vocal in promoting the police, said: "We have called for that support in the past and now people have stood up to that challenge and stepped forward and are encouraging people to join the PSNI so I think it's an historic day not just for policing but for Northern Ireland."