First Of Tragic Police Funerals Tomorrow

With the first funeral of one of the four policemen killed in the weekend road tragedy near Warrenpoint set to take place tomorrow, it has emerged that a cross-section of the overall community will be paying their respects - including republican politicians.

Sinn Fein said that the party would be represented at the funerals or wakes - probably including their members on the local District Policing Partnership.

The service for Kenneth Irvine (30) will be held tomorrow afternoon at Kilkeel Presbyterian Church, of which he was a member.

Mr Irvine will be buried at the church graveyard following the ceremony, which is expected to be attended by a large gathering of mourners.

Representing both sides of the community, the four police officers who died included both an Orange Order member and Gaelic footballers - all of whom were killed together in the early morning accident.

Asked if Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will attend the funerals of any of the four PSNI officers killed in Sunday's horrific road accident, a party spokesman said: "The protocol would be that local Sinn Fein people would attend their local funerals, and members of the local DPP."

Details are not yet known of when the funerals for the other victims will be held.

See: Weekend Road Deaths' Shock