we haven t yet been able to verify what the substance is behind that claim, or see any of the information that dissident republicans assert that they have. but as you would imagine, we re keeping this under review. i and the senior team apologise unreservedly for what has happened here. you can only imagine the sort of unconscionable horror as people start to realise that maybe a loved one is being put injeopardy but what they have seen. this morning s emergency meeting here at the policing board had been due to last for around two hours. the chief constable, simon byrne, had cut a holiday short to be here, but four hours later, he was still answering questions from politicians about the data breaches. recent attacks will be fresh in the minds of officers here. dissident republican terrorists shot and seriously injured this senior detective, john coldwell, just a few months ago.
the terrorism threat level in northern ireland is severe that s the highest in the uk and it s because of that threat that some police officers keep their jobs secret from people in their community, theirfriends, even their children. today, the force s most senior officer acknowledged claims that dissident republicans are in possession of information from the data breaches. this is a claim. we haven t yet been able to verify what the substance is behind that claim, or see any of the information that dissident republicans assert that they have. but as you would imagine, we re keeping this under review. i and the senior team apologise unreservedly for what has happened here. you can only imagine the sort of unconscionable horror as people start to realise that maybe a loved one is being put injeopardy but what they have seen.