Association of Police Authorities Chairman Bob Jones has called for a connected approach to policing at the launch of the APA's annual conference in Belfast.

Stressing the importance of both neighbourhood policing and protective services such as counter-terrorism, he made a plea for policing provision to be properly connected if it is to deliver the best possible service to communities.

Bob Jones said: "There is no-one here who would wish to see a repeat of Soham or who does not recognise the importance of being able to deploy our resources effectively to face the threats posed by terrorism. We want to see all of those different levels of policing provision properly connected. It is important to find ways of ensuring that policing is connected at all levels to the citizens it serves."

Conference delegates also held a 1 minute silence in respect of West Yorkshire PC Sharon Beshenivsky who was shot and killed in Bradford last Friday.

Speakers at the two-day conference will include: Hazel Blears, Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety; Professor Sir Desmond Rea, Chairman, Northern Ireland Policing Board; Sir Hugh Orde, Chief Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland; John Giffard, Director of the Police Structures Review Unit; and Denis O'Connor, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.