No deal Brexit fears spark plans to send British police to Northern Ireland

FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter fornow We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Ministers have now drawn out plans to put police officers in place from English forces into Northern Ireland in the event of a no deal Brexit, according to The Sunday Times. In the case of an emergency situation, police can be sent to other parts of the UK in a procedure known as mutual aid. The procedure was also used during the London riots and the G8 summit in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

In the detailed plans, around 300 Scottish police could be deployed to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). If violence is sparked officers from London’s Metropolitan Police could be put in place. According to the plans, Kent will need the largest police force in place as it is the country’s main gateway to Europe. However, officers are currently on standby to be deployed to Northern Ireland as the country has seen a variety of dissident terrorist activity over the last six months. A source at London’s city hall said: “All the police forces have agreed to give support to Northern Ireland. READ MORE: Brexit warning: Backstop 'compromise' could criminalise drivers

Police can be sent to other parts of the UK in a procedure known as mutual aid

“It is a concern. Thankfully it wouldn’t affect too many London officers, but we would be there. “Imagine it: officers from the mainland in Northern Ireland. Bloody hell.” The officers could be expected to patrol the border but that their main duty will be to tackle civil unrest elsewhere. PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne has cautioned against any activity that could “re-emphasise” a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish republic. He said in an interview with The Sunday Times: “Dissident republican groupings recognise they may be able to exploit the EU exit. “So if there were anything that re-emphasises the border, they will seek to exploit that and recruit more people and be seen as taking on the British government.”

The threat level in Northern Ireland has been branded “severe” for a decade