The PSNI’s Chief Constable Simon Byrne has called for additional resources for the police force in response to a ‘worrying departure’ in increased dissident activity.

Speaking in Derry on Wednesday, Mr Byrne warned of ominous changes in the nature of the threat posed by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland.

Mr Byrne, who was appointed chief constable in July, claimed that more attempts have been made on the lives of PSNI officers since he took the position than in the previous 12 months.

In his statement, Mr Byrne urged for the recruitment of 800 additional officers, which would increase the PSNI membership to 7,500, thereby allowing ‘police officers to work with communities to get more information to deal not only with day-to-day crime but also continue the fight against paramilitaries.’

Mr Byrne claimed that dissident organisations such as the New IRA and the Continuity IRA are showing signs of increased expertise in bomb-making, which may arise both from the instruction of older members of paramilitary groupings and internet tutorials.

He stated: ‘What we are seeing is changing types of engineering and capability.’

Mr Byrne’s plea follows the discovery of a mortar bomb in Strabane, Tyrone, on Saturday and a further explosive device in Creggan, Derry, on Monday, both of which are believed to have been intended to target PSNI members.

On Monday night, police officers in Derry came under fire from dozens of petrol bombs as they attempted to evacuate a number of residential homes in Creggan Heights due to suspected dissident activity.

Mr Byrne said recent attempts on the lives of PSNI officers represent ‘a departure from what we have seen’.

He added: ‘There are a range of tactics being deployed by terrorists in different parts of Northern Ireland with one sole purpose, that is to kill or seriously injure one of our staff.

‘I think it is a worrying departure in terms of the determination, the tempo and the motivation of people to clearly kill or seriously injure one of our officers.’

He added: ‘[It is] a small number of people coercing others to carry out attacks against police.’

Mr Byrne also described the recent attacks as ‘indiscriminate’, claiming that those responsible had recklessly endangered the lives of civilians, who could easily have been caught in the crossfire.

Urging an increase in PSNI resources, Mr Byrne said: ‘I am worried that the valiant efforts of officers cannot continue at this rate without support from the government to increase the number of people that I can deploy to communities to fight terrorism.

‘I actually think that communities are our biggest weapon in turning round this problem, but to encourage and enable them we need to increase our neighbourhood policing teams right across Northern Ireland.’