THE RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, maintained yesterday that the use of plastic baton rounds was totally justifiable where they were the minimum force required to prevent large scale damage to property.
Mr Flanagan's comments were made after a report presented to the Westminster parliament by the British Inspector of Constabulary recommended a range of tighter restrictions on the use of plastic bullets.
The inspector's report suggested that RUC guidelines on the use of the weapon should reflect the guidelines of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) for its use throughout Britain. These stipulate that baton rounds should be used for the prevention of damage to property only when there is an associated danger to life.
However, Mr Flanagan pointed out that the ACPO guidelines are under review at present, and said that the RUC, which had extensive experience in the use of baton rounds, would have a high level input into the review process.
He stressed that the nature of the public disorders which his officers faced in the North was "of a totally different character" to that faced by their colleagues in Britain.
If they had not had plastic baton rounds at their disposal last summer, he said, then the risk to life and the destruction of property would have been much greater than it had been.
Mr Flanagan indicated that he was not opposing the effort to arrive at guidelines that gave greater precision to the assessment of circumstances in which plastic bullets could be used.
But he insisted that he would consider himself in neglect of his duty if he failed to authorise their use to prevent large scale damage to property.
The inspectors report pointed out that 16 people had died in" incidents involving plastic bullets since 1972, and 511 people had been injured by them since 1981.
The report recommended that "the issue and subsequent use of these weapons should be regarded as a major step, carrying with it the potential to escalate as well as defuse public disorder."
In addition, the report said, "constables required to use this weapon deserve the more active involvement of their senior officers in the responsibility for its use."
The SDLP expressed disappointment at the Chief Constable's attitude to reducing the use of plastic bullets. Councillor Alex Attwood said the SDLP believed there should be a total ban on the use of this weapon.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice echoed the view that the use of plastic bullets should be discontinued.