COP CHIEF DEFENDS PSNI RESPONSE TO ATTACKS; Orde dismisses claim family waited 90mins.Byline: MICHAEL McHUGH Michael Hudson McHugh, AC QC, (born 1935) is a former justice of the High Court of Australia; the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. Judicial Activity ; VICTORIA McMAHON HUGH Orde Sir Hugh Stephen Orde, OBE, is the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Hugh Orde joined London's Metropolitan Police Service in 1977. He rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Superintendent in the Territorial Support Group. fought back yesterday over criticism that his officers didn't respond quickly enough to protect besieged Romanians. At a Policing Board meeting the PSNI PSNI Police Service of Northern Ireland (UK) PSNI Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland PSNI Professional Systems Network, Inc. chief strongly denied allegations one family was left waiting for 90 minutes after calling 999. He said: "I have personally checked the emergency calls ...There is no emergency call to that area at all in existence of that nature. It simply did not happen." His comments come after an East Belfast Romanian family became the latest victims of racists. Sorin Ciurar, 20, said he was "frightened" after thugs shattered a window of his home off the Upper Newtownards Road. He added he was left shaken by the ordeal late on Wednesday night and was considering going back home. Mr Ciurar, pictured right, said: "I don't know what we're going to do." Around 130 other Romanians left their homes in recent days after being driven from their South Belfast homes by a racist mob. Hugh Orde claimed the thugs are "doing huge damage to the economy of Northern Ireland The economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four Home Nations' economies of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has traditionally had an industrial economy, most notably in shipbuilding, rope manufacture and textiles, but most heavy industry has since been replaced by , the image of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland: see Ireland, Northern. Northern Ireland Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland occupying the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. Area: 5,461 sq mi (14,144 sq km). Population (2001): 1,685,267. , and it is, in fairness, simply unjustified". He added: "It is a complicated picture. We had seven calls for assistance over fourand-a-half to five days. Some of those calls were not, on arrival, discovered to be crimes between different communities. "They were indeed, on one occasion, a dispute between different families from the Romanian community." He added police had been getting help from the public. The families are staying in temporary accommodation at Queen's University Belfast under police guard. Romania's Ambassador to the UK, Dr Ion Jinga, had talks yesterday at Stormont with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. He said some of the families he had visited are a "little stressed" but praised local people for donating food and blankets. Dr Jinga added: "We are very confident and we have received a number of assurances. "They are in full accordance with European standards, with the maximum they can do to assist and protect people in distress. "They are safe here. I have not received a negative message from other Romanians here." Earlier, Romanian Consul General Mihai Delcea met Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie to discuss the attacks and later met the families. Police said they do not believe loyalist paramilitaries were involved in the violence. |
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