A nationalist pressure group in the North has criticised new measures aimed at restricting the use of plastic bullets by police as an opportunity lost to impose a total ban.
The British government yesterday announced the changes which will bring the guidelines on use of plastic bullets in Northern Ireland into line with those in England and Wales, where they can only be fired to protect people.
The revised guidelines say that plastic bullets, officially known as baton rounds, should only be fired when other methods of policing have failed and where they are necessary to reduce the risk of loss of life or serious injury.
However, the chairwoman of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets, Mrs Clara Reilly, said yesterday that nothing short of a total ban would satisfy the group.
During the Troubles 17 people, eight of them children or young teenagers, were killed by plastic or rubber bullets. The last death was that of Seamus Duffy (15), in August 1989.
An RUC spokeswoman said last night that they understood the new rules would amend the circumstances in which plastic baton rounds could be used to defend property. The rules will come into force from August 1st.