A member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board has called on both sides of the community to support new police recruits.

It follows an incident at the weekend when a young Catholic student officer was forced to leave his County Down home because of a threat from dissident republicans.

South Down MP Eddie McGrady said threats were not stopping young people from applying to join the service.

Eddie McGrady: "Threats not stopping people applying"

Mr McGrady is a member of the nationalist SDLP.

The first group of 44 PSNI graduates - selected on a 50% Catholic, 50% Protestant and others basis - graduated earlier this year.

Mr McGrady said the threat against the life of the recruit in Newry was very serious.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday, he said: "It is an expression of the extreme republican attitude to the new police service.

"This is an attempt by those involved in paramilitarism and organised crime to prevent the establishment of a new police service which is acceptable to everyone in the community," he said.

The MP said despite intimidation and threats, Catholics were continuing to join the PSNI.

The force is not representative at the moment but change is beginning to occur quite quickly

Eddie McGrady SDLP

"The force is not representative at the moment but change is beginning to occur quite quickly.

"As well as more Catholics applying, the whole training process, human rights and equality agenda are making enormous changes to the culture in the force."

Recommendations

He added: "The only legitimate force here is the PSNI and until we have that fully trained and in place, the community is at risk from paramilitaries, organised criminal gangs and indeed, domestic crime."

The new police recruits have been trained specifically for the police service of Northern Ireland and new uniforms were introduced as part of the sweeping changes to policing.

The service changed from the mainly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland last November.

The changes have followed a report from Chris Patten's policing commission, which made more than 175 recommendations, after being set up under the Good Friday Agreement.