1969: Ulster's B Specials to be disbanded

The British Government has accepted the recommendations of the Hunt committee on policing in Northern Ireland which include the abolition of the Ulster Special Constabulary, know as the 'B Specials'.

The Home Secretary, Jim Callaghan, ordered a commission, headed by Lord Hunt, in response to this summer's violence in the Bogside area of Londonderry.

The subsequent report recommends a complete reorganisation and disarming of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, including the disbanding of the B Specials auxiliary force seen by many as a Protestant army.

Among several proposals, the Hunt report suggests a reformed RUC should comprise:

• the existing reserve force to be renamed the Special Patrol Group to carry out routine police duties, and its members limited to a three-year term of service
• a new volunteer reserve police force to aid police at local level, recruited in Belfast, Londonderry and the Six Counties
• a cadet corp.

The Northern Ireland Prime Minister, James Chichester-Clark, said the Stormont government had been consulted before the Northern Ireland Cabinet decided to accept the recommendations.

He made assurances that the B Specials would remain intact until a fully effective security force had taken its place.

The British Army, which Major Chichester-Clark invited in to quell the August riots, will remain in place.

'Sell-out'

Unionist backbench MPs voted by 28 votes to seven to support the Hunt report but opposition MPs in Stormont have attacked it.

The Rev Ian Paisley described it as "an absolute sell-out to the republicans and the so-called civil rights movement which is only a smokescreen for the republican movement". He also called on the prime minister to resign.

Formed in April 1922 when the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was disbanded, the RUC initially made provision for one third of the places in the RUC to be reserved for Catholics, with preference given to former RIC men.

But this proportion was never achieved and only 11% of the RUC are Catholic.

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