Justice Minister Claire Sugden has held a meeting with PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton as she begins to settle in to her new role in the Northern Ireland Executive.

It is the first of a series of meetings she plans to hold with key figures and organisations in the criminal justice sector following her appointment to the important position.

Ms Sugden’s appointment surprised the legal community, who had widely expected that Alliance leader David Ford would be succeeded in the role by party colleague Stephen Farry.

On her appointment, she said she was looking forward to the challenges presented by the role.

At the meeting with Mr Hamilton, also attended by Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris, Ms Sugden discussed key policing issues.

Speaking afterwards, Ms Sugden said: “I welcomed the opportunity to meet at an early stage with the Chief Constable and Deputy Chief Constable to discuss a range of policing and security issues.

“This is the first in a series of meetings I will be having with key partners across the criminal justice sector.

“The Police Service of Northern Ireland provides a vital public service and has a critical role to play in keeping the entire community safe.

“I was very keen to hear from the Chief Constable about the challenges the PSNI faces, and the key issues around policing.

“I look forward to working closely with him during my term in office.”