Inside the World Cup

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England World Cup bid appoints former Belfast police chief

June 22 - Sir Ronnie Flanagan (pictured), former controversial chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, has been appointed as a security advisor for England's World Cup bid, it was announced today.

Sir Ronnie, one of the most experienced people in the country in dealing with terrorist threats, will help in compiling the section on safety and security in England's bid presentation document.

He said: "The World Cup tournament is a festival of soccer and the most important element from my perspective is that people are safe and feel safe - whether they are players, officials or supporters.

"I shall be doing all I can to support the 2018 bid team with their planning for their presentation to FIFA."

Andy Anson, the chief executive of England's bid, said: "Having someone with Ronnie's experience and expertise on board will be a major benefit.

"Safety and security is clearly an important part of the whole process and Sir Ronnie's advice and support will be invaluable."

Flanagan, 60, was Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) before resigning in 2002 and presided over some of the biggest changes in policing in the province when the service changed after the Good Friday peace agreement.

But he was criticised in the RUC inquiry into the Omagh Bombing of 1998, in a report published in 2001, to which Flanagan's response was that he would “publicly commit suicide” if he believed her report was correct, though he later apologised for the form of words he used.

He went on to become the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and was the author of the independent review of the police service, commissioned by the Government in 2007.

But his career in the UK ended in controversy later that year when a report by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Nuala O'Loan, made findings of collusion between members of the proscribed paramilitary organization, the Ulster Volunteer Force, and officers under the command of Flanagan.

Sir Ronnie denied any wrong-doing or acting with any knowledge of the events in question but did not deny that these events had taken place.

He has since worked in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.