An Garda Síochána Commissioner Justin Kelly joined Chief Constable Jon Boutcher at the Police Service of Northern Ireland's attestation ceremony at the Police College in Garnerville, east Belfast, where 45 new officers were formally sworn in on Friday, 14 August.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: "This was the Commissioner's first visit to one of our attestations and we thank him for his time to mark such a proud day for our new officers, their family and friends.

"Our new constables are joining the service during our anniversary year, marking 25 years' service to the community of Northern Ireland," he said.

"There is no other profession like policing. Officers and staff literally save lives and improve and protect the quality of life for our communities every single day, the rewards are immeasurable."

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly added: "It's an honour to be at the attestation of newest members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and I want to thank Chief Constable Boutcher for inviting me to this momentous day as these officers embark on their policing careers.

"I know the sacrifices they have made to get here and salute them for answering the call to serve their communities. I wish them well on joining our police family. "I look forward to deepening the long-standing co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI as together we continue our work to keep all communities on this island safe."

Music for the ceremony was provided by members of the Pipes and Drums of both the PSNI and An Garda Síochána bands.

"These ceremonies are quite rightly the highlights of the policing calendar. We welcome and celebrate our new colleagues in front of their family and friends who should be rightly proud of the commitment their loved ones have making a positive difference to life in Northern Ireland," the Chief Constable said.

"The declaration made by every new officer underlines their commitment to serve the community with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality throughout their career within the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

"We will continue to engage with all communities and would strongly encourage anyone who is interested in a career in policing and who did not apply in our most recent student officer campaign to talk to us about future opportunities.

"We are determined for the Police Service to be even more representative of the community we serve and we want the diversity of our organisation to mirror the richness of the communities that make up Northern Ireland. We are seeking support from everyone in Northern Ireland to help us to achieve that objective.

"I wish our newest officers well in what I hope will be a long and rewarding career in the Police Service which is, having been a police officer for over 40 years, the best police service in the world."