Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton is to retire after 30 years of service, with recruitment for a replacement to begin immediately. In a statement, the Policing Board said his departure was “in line with contractual entitlements”.

A senior police officer who received a vote of no confidence from officers over his handling of an incident at a memorial event on the Ormeau Road is to retire.

Mr Hamilton has been absent from work since a medical procedure a year ago.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton is to retire from policing later this year. In a statement, the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) thanked Mr Hamilton for his “dedicated service and for the significant contribution he has made to policing and leading police reform in Northern Ireland”.

A senior police officer has been praised for his “courage and dedication” to policing in Northern Ireland – but told there are “outstanding issues surrounding his actions” during a recent controversy over police discipling two officers after pressure from Sinn Fein.

Northern Ireland’s Deputy Chief Constable is to retire after three decades in policing. Mark Hamilton was appointed in 2020 and faced a stormy period in 2023 after a number of controversies in the Police Service of Northern Ireland,