Police in Northern Ireland are to hold talks later today with partner agencies after physical Brexit checks at Belfast and Larne ports were suspended amid safety concerns.
Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said yesterday it had decided "in the interests of the wellbeing of staff to temporarily suspend physical inspections of products of animal origin at Larne and Belfast" pending further discussions with the PSNI.
A DAERA spokesman said: "The situation will be kept under review and in the meantime full documentary checks will continue to be carried out as usual."
Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said he had taken the decision to withdraw personnel at the ports in consultation with his staff.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said force officials would meet partner agencies to discuss the situation.
"The safety of staff working at points of entry is of the utmost importance to us," he said. "Where we have any credible information we will share that with our partners and take appropriate action.
"We have increased patrols at Larne Port and other points of entry in order to reassure staff and the local community."
It comes after council staff at Larne Port were withdrawn from inspection duties.
Twelve Mid and East Antrim Borough Council staff assisting officials from DAERA and UK Border Force with checks at the port were withdrawn from their duties with immediate effect yesterday.
The council said the decision was made following an "upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks".
Graffiti appeared in the area last month referencing tensions about the Northern Ireland Protocol and describing port staff as "targets".
There have also been a number of daubings in Belfast amid anger at the protocol, with a raft of new checks on goods arriving at ports from Britain introduced at the start of the year.
The council said the situation had caused "extreme distress and worry to staff" and it had "no option but to withdraw them from their duties in order to fulfil its duty of care and carry out a full risk assessment with the PSNI, Food Standards Agency and DAERA".
It apologised for any disruption but said "the safety and wellbeing of staff is of paramount importance". ■
Under an intense surge of arctic air, Friday morning will begin with the coldest temperatures so far this season across much of the central and eastern U.S. with blustery conditions and a piercing wind chill.