'Blood on the dancefloor' - BBC Spotlight probe of INLA murder of Darren Bradshaw: Former officer defends force after Stormont Minister Andrew Muir accuses RUC of 'institutional homophobia'

Mr Muir, who came out as gay in 1996, was speaking in the BBC Spotlight documentary ‘Blood On The Dancefloor’, which aired on BBC One last night.

It investigates the unsolved murder of gay RUC officer Darren Bradshaw, who was killed by the INLA in 1997 in Belfast's first openly gay venue, the Parliament Bar.

Mr Bradshaw had been suspended from the RUC at the time of the attack, after allegations were made that he had attended a party with other gay men where drugs had been used - a claim he denied. The RUC had warned him his life was at risk by visiting the bar.

Mr Muir also strongly criticised the PSNI for its decision in 2023 to stop allowing officers wearing their uniforms in Belfast’s annual LGBT Pride Parade.

He went on to tell the BBC there was "institutional homophobia" within the police dating back to when it was the RUC.

But Mr Funston, who served in the RUC and later the PSNI, took exception to Mr Muir's comments.

"I don't agree with Andrew Muir bashing the RUC, as it is an easy target," he said. "Widespread homophobia existed across society, including within politics, at that time.

"Darren Bradshaw, being a gay officer, would have found few places to socialise where he would have been comfortable.

"Unfortunately, because of that, he had set up a pattern, making him easily targeted. There was a member of INLA who worked in that bar and we obviously know what happened to Darren."

Mr Funston's brother Ronnie was shot in the back by the IRA while working on the family farm in Fermanagh in 1984. Ken went on to work as advocacy manager with victims groups SEFF, and completed a doctorate on the "ethnic cleansing" of border Protestants.

Mr Muir also told the BBC that the PSNI decision in 2023 to stop officers wearing their uniforms in the LGBT Pride Parade was "concerning".

He added: "There had been a lot of goodwill built up as a result of the decision previously to take part, and that has had a real significant impact. There's a journey that needs to be undertaken to redress that issue in terms of policing. We can't just let that go as if it was right."

However the PSNI firmly defended the decision, which it said came after other PSNI officers from other "minority staff associations” asked to wear their uniforms at other events.

"In 2022 the Police Service of Northern Ireland revisited our original 2017 decision following a request from our LGBTQ+ network to participate in the Belfast Pride Parade on the 26th of June 2023," the PSNI said.

It added: "A fresh examination of the decision was necessary owing to ongoing work to ensure that, as both an employer and a public body, we are consistent and fair in our decision making around all requests from officers and staff to participate in events.

"This had come to the fore following requests from other minority staff associations to participate in other events in uniform."