Northern Ireland's top policeman to step down | Fear and loathing on the streets | Shortcomings in security | Comment: David Aaronovitch | Leading article |

A police officer who was shot in the head last night appears to have been the victim of a deliberate set up by republican dissidents, Northern Ireland's police commander said today.

The officer became the third member of the security services to die within 48 hours when he was killed in his car as he responded to a 999 call from an address in Craigavon, a republican stronghold in Co Armagh. On Saturday, two British soldiers were shot and killed as they collected a pizza delivery outside Massereene barracks in Co Antrim.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde disclosed this morning that police in Craigavon had received a call for help last night from a "terrified" woman reporting that a street gang had shattered a window of her home.

Sir Hugh told a press conference that, mindful of the high security threat, the officers “stood off for a sensible period of time" to check for any signs they might be heading into a trap, before two carloads of police drove in to deal with the woman’s call.

An officer with more than 20 years’ service was sitting in the car providing cover to the other unit when he was shot in the head, apparently at close range. The attack looked like “a deliberate set-up”.

“This will not put off me or my officers delivering the service we do, to the communities we are paid to protect. That will continue, unrelenting,” Sir Hugh told the news conference in Belfast.

"In this case the officers were fully aware of the threat they were facing. Mindful of that threat, they responded in an entirely appropriate way."

Speaking in London today, the Prime Minister described the attack as the work of "murderers who are trying to distort, disrupt and destroy a political process that is working for the people or Northern Ireland".

“A small minority will never be allowed to undermine or destroy the political process... All the political parties in Northern Ireland have made it clear that there will be no return to the old days," Gordon Brown added.

He said the people of the province did not want a return to guns on the street. “My first first thoughts are for the family of the very brave policeman who has been killed and for the police force,” Mr Brown added.

A dissident republican group, the Real IRA, has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack outside the entrance of the Massereene army base, where gunmen attacked four off-duty soldiers and two men delivering pizzas. Two soldiers died, while the other four remain in hospital.

Craigavon and neighbouring town, Lurgan, are power bases for the Continuity IRA, another dissident republican group which opposes the decision of most IRA members to renounce violence and disarm in 2005.

Asked if the Massereene murders were linked to last night’s killing, Sir Hugh said: “I think you are giving (the attackers) credit they ill deserve. I think these are disparate groups, badly infiltrated and indeed many awaiting trial north and south of the border.

“It just reminds us that a small group of people determined to wreck what is huge political progress are becoming more dangerous. We are mindful of that and will do our best in every way to bring these people to justice.”

Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland’s First Minister, said: “I unreservedly condemn this evil deed and offer my sincere sympathy to the officer’s family circle. The entire police family is in my thoughts and prayers at this time.

“I am sickened at the attempts by terrorists to destabilise Northern Ireland."

Sir Hugh called on Catholics who live in traditional IRA strongholds to break with the past by providing tipoffs about the dissidents in their communities.

“Maybe you have not spoken to police before,” he said. “Maybe, for whatever reason, you are suspicious or fearful of what speaking to us will mean. I say to you in the most honest and open terms: My officers opted to protect lives, in this, your community. By bringing information to us, you can do the same.”

The dangerous and sudden escalation in violence threatened to draw a counter reaction from loyalist paramilitaries and destabilise the peace process.

Dolores Kelly, a member of the nationalist party the SDLP, who sits on Northern Ireland’s policing board, said that the province was staring into the abyss. “I would appeal to people to pull back,” he said.

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