HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CALLS FOR END OF PLASTIC BULLETS

THE Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has called for an end in the use of plastic bullets by the RUC.

Chief Commissioner Professor Brice Dickson said that RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan should follow the example set by some of his counterparts in England following the recent race disturbances in Oldham and Bradford.

Mr Dickson’s statement came on Wednesday 18 July following a report prepared for the Government by the Defence Scientific Advisory Council on the new plastic baton round, introduced to the RUC on June 1.

The Commission’s view, based on this report, states that the new weapon “appears to be even more dangerous than the weapon it replaced” and that the use of the weapon as a method of crowd control was a “disproportionate use of force”.

The new baton round was used by police during the recent rioting between nationalist and loyalist rival factions in the flashpoint area of North Belfast.

Mr Dickson said that his group recognised “the intense pressure and difficulties which police officers in Northern Ireland face when confronting rioters” although he added that various police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, have indicated that it was not necessary to resort to the use of plastic bullets in order to deal with recent disturbances. “The commission feels that now is the time for the RUC Chief Constable to adopt the same policy.”

Responding to the Human Rights report, Sir Ronnie Flanagan said he had no doubt whatever, that had his officers not had the use of baton rounds, in recent days, human life would have been lost. He also hit back at the commission’s stance and claimed that its statement was “inaccurate and misleading in many respects.”

In a statement issued through police headquarters, Sir Ronnie said “The rigorous work of the Patten Commission in recognising that ‘for as long as the community in NI contained elements prepared to use lethal weapons against the police such situations would arise’ contrasts starkly with the lack of rigour demonstrated in the press release issued by the Human Rights Commission. It is inaccurate and misleading in many respects, not least of which is its misrepresentation of the position of Chief Police Officers in England.”

The Police Ombudsman is currently investigating a report that a 16-year-old girl was hit on the forehead with a plastic bullet in Ardoyne in north Belfast on July 12.

Seventeen people have been killed by plastic bullets in Northern Ireland, the youngest of which was 10 years old. (AMcE)