Troubles bomb blasts continue to take a toll on many former RUC officers: Alan Mains

Alan Mains served in the RUC and PSNI between 1978 and 2007 – witnessing first-hand on numerous occasions the devastating consequences of terrorist bombings and other atrocities.

He recalls how responding to terrorist bomb calls was done with only the safety of others in mind, and how the evacuation procedures were carried out time and time again despite the ever-present potential for death or serious injury.

"How we policed Northern Ireland at that time, and the challenges that we had, meant that unfortunately we lost lives within the police,” the former detective superintendent said.

"I wouldn’t say we were unsung heroes because I think that was very much part of the job we had to do unfortunately, but we did it at that time without thinking… other than focussing on the protection of life.

"People joined the police to help society and communities – to ensure safety and normality – but we weren’t looking, and do not look in retrospect, any special kudos for that. We just did it and we did it very well in my opinion.”

Mr Mains, who served in a number of Belfast stations and in south Armagh during his 30-year career, said it was much easier for the terrorists to carry out atrocities than it was for the police to prevent them.

"Were we always up against a system where the terrorists could sit, they could wait, they could plot and they could scheme. Sometimes we were ahead of it and sometimes we weren’t, but that is the nature of terrorism – terrorism is always about trying to exploit the weaknesses of the community and the intelligence services, and also the police and the army as it was then.”

"So that is what we were up against and it wasn’t easy.”

Mr Mains said there are now, as in the past, many politicians and others who are determined to “demonise the police”.

He said: “One thing that people need to understand, is that if you apply today’s standards 30 or 40 years ago it just doesn’t work.

"It’s easy to do, it’s easy to say and it’s easy to allege, but if you can put yourself back to that time when I and my colleagues investigating serious crime, you can see why you can’t apply today’s standards.”

Mr Mains believes this unfair demonisation of Troubles-era police officers is exacerbating the mental health struggles of many who served.

He said: "I often reflect on the past, and think of the debris that has occurred within our own organisation, and the effects, including people who have taken their own lives – due to circumstances that they shouldn’t have been faced with but they were. That post-traumatic stress is very prevalent within many former police officers unfortunately.

"Did we go over and above and beyond [the call of duty]? Absolutely, no doubt about it, but there were consequences for that, and there still are, even now in today’s society.

"People may have retired but they don’t forget what they had to do in the past... and they did it very well.”