Chief Constable apologises for ‘offence’ over tweet

PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has apologised for any offence caused by comments he made on social media about pressures facing serving police officers.

It comes after he received criticism for suggesting on social media that officers overwhelmed by the job should "dry your eyes" or "move on".

The Police Federation accused Mr Hamilton of being “out of touch” with officers who endure “monstrous” pressures and called on him to withdraw the comments.

Mr Hamilton responded by posting a video in which he apologised.

“Such important issues are not best dealt with in the 140 characters of a tweet,” he said.

“I've clearly caused some offence in what I've said, and for that I apologise.

“You see I'm hugely proud of the officers and staff who go out and serve the public every day. I want to encourage and support them, and I accept that my comments last night would not convey that support, for that I am sorry.”