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A former senior officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said she is "deeply angered" by a claim she questioned the independence of the judiciary.

Barbara Gray was responding to evidence given in court in London.

The court heard an allegation she believed there had been "perverse" rulings against the PSNI because of a "prevalence of Catholics" in Northern Ireland's courts.

Ms Gray said she was now taking legal advice.

The remarks attributed to her, which date back to when she was a PSNI assistant chief constable, were made by Darren Ellis, a former Durham Constabulary officer.

He has been giving evidence at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in London, which is examining the surveillance of two Belfast journalists, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney.

Mr Ellis was involved in their arrest in 2018 over material they obtained for a documentary on the murder of six men in Loughinisland in 1994.

In a statement, Ms Gray responded to what was claimed in court.

"I am aware of comments attributed to me as a result of evidence given by Mr Ellis," she said.

"I am deeply angered and offended by the comments.

"To clarify, and for the avoidance of any doubt, I have the utmost respect for the judiciary and the wider legal profession in Northern Ireland and have done so throughout my 35 year career.

"I firmly believe in the fundamental principle of equality, integrity and impartiality."

She went on to state she had challenged Mr Ellis in 2019 on written comments he had made about the then lord chief justice, which she considered "unacceptable and inappropriate".

Her statement went on: "My response to him has been available to the tribunal, in which I warned him 'the independence of and conduct of the LCJ and courts in NI cannot be called into question in this manner and your comments do not reflect the impartiality and independence of policing'."

Ms Gray left the PSNI in 2021 to take a top position at the Metropolitan Police, a force she retired from earlier in 2024.