SDLP Policing Board member Dolores Kelly. Picture by Hugh Russell

THE chief constable has apologised for a Christmas Day Twitter picture of him posing with heavily armed officers at a south Armagh police station.

Simon Byrne was criticised by nationalists for the picture taken at Crossmaglen station.

Yesterday he met SDLP policing spokesperson Dolores Kelly and councillor Pete Byrne as part of a series of meetings with elected representatives following the row.

The chief constable said the tweet “was never meant as a comment on the community of Crossmaglen and south Armagh area and I am sorry for any offence that has been caused”.

Cllr Byrne said: “We had a frank conversation about the importance of language and nuance.”

Ms Kelly, an MLA and Policing Board member, said they had a “robust discussion around the challenges of the style and appearance of militarised stations in Crossmaglen and Newtownhamilton”.

On Monday after meeting Sinn Féin, the chief constable said on Twitter they had a “constructive and honest discussion” and he was “always willing to listen and learn”.

Yesterday he said: “Since taking up the post of chief constable, I have been looking at the visibility, accessibility and responsiveness of policing across Northern Ireland.

“As part of that ongoing work, I have commissioned a review of policing in South Armagh. The review will involve local officers, elected representatives and the local community.

“I am really proud of the local officers, who working together with local people, have made so much progress for policing and the community in recent years.”