Belfast's most senior police officer has asked the Policing Board for details of severance payments if he quits. Mr Alan McQuillan, an assistant chief constable, who applied unsuccessfully for the top policing post, signalled his anger at what he sees as a breach of confidentiality by the board.
An early favourite for the job, Mr McQuillan is said to have been angered by the non-appearance of two unionist members of the interviewing panel at the announcement of the appointment of Mr Hugh Orde as Chief Constable of the PSNI and their subsequent claims that no candidate met the threshold for suitability.
He is also said to be annoyed by the appearance of details from the interviewing process which appeared in The Irish Times.
The request for details of his severance package was lodged with the Policing Board's chairman, Prof Desmond Rea, yesterday.
The departure of a respected, senior figure and one with a high public profile would be seen as a grievous loss for the PSNI.