Reacting to comments from the Police Federation’s Terry Spence TUV East Belfast candidate David Vance said:

“Terry Spence’s plea for additional resources to tackle the threat from Republican terrorism should act as a wakeup call for all of us. Policing has been badly damaged by the Patten Report. We simply no longer have the resources necessary to face down terrorism.

“As a strong law and order party TUV offers voters in Northern Ireland the opportunity to register their opposition to cuts in police numbers and resources. Remember too the DUP’s shameful betrayal of the Full Time Police Reserve. In the run up to Hillsborough Jeffrey Donaldson pledged:
“If the Full Time Reserve is disbanded do I think that policing and justice devolution will proceed? No. I don’t believe that it will because not only will the DUP not agree to it but the public confidence will not be there to make it happen. That is absolutely clear. That has been our position.”

“Now is the time to send a clear message on police numbers and resources. People can only do that by voting Traditional Unionist on Thursday week.”