The Policing Board said on Friday it was aware that threats have been made against members of the Cookstown District Policing Partnership.

Earlier this week, independent Fermanagh DPP member Cathal O'Dolan resigned after he received threats from dissident republicans.

Cookstown DPP members have held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Its chairman, the SDLP's Patsy McGlone, said the information was quite specific.

"We were given a formal message by the police which told us that intelligence was indicating that mainstream republicans intend to intimidate nationalist members of Cookstown District Policing Partnership," he said.

"It was quite specific - it went on to say that mainstream republicans aligned to Provisional IRA intend to intimidate nationalist members."

Former Sinn Fein Mid-Ulster assembly member Francie Molloy denied claims that republicans were to blame.

"I think the claims are rubbish and I don't know where they've come from. There's no indication at all that they're coming from any republican source or background," he said.

"There's certainly nothing that I have heard or seen that would indicate a change of position from the IRA."

A Policing Board spokesperson said they would unreservedly condemn threats made to any DPP member.

"All members of every DPP have come forward to work for the benefit of the whole community and their work and contributions are invaluable."

"The board recognises that this must be a particularly worrying time for those affected and is monitoring the overall situation."

Death threats

On Thursday, the chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board Professor Desmond Rea said a number of death threats had been made against members of the DPP and the Policing Board in recent months.

In August 2003, bullets were sent to the Londonderry home of Denis Bradley, the deputy chairman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board.

Police believe dissident republicans were also behind that threat and linked it with a similar package sent to the home of Marion Quinn, a member of the district policing partnership in Derry.

Last month, a hoax device was placed under her daughter's car.

District policing partnerships were set up across Northern Ireland under reforms initiated by a commission headed by former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten and implemented by the government.

Councillors and members of the local community sit on the boards and work alongside the Police Service of Northern Ireland's 29 District Command Units in trying to meet local community policing needs.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board handles some of the most sensitive issues facing policing and holds PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde and his senior officers to account.

Former assembly members and independent nominees serve on the board whose headquarters are in Belfast.

Sinn Fein has boycotted the new structures, insisting the government's policing reforms need to go further if they are ever going to participate.