Scottish police authorised to use baton rounds during the summit

DAN MCDOUGALL

Sat 29 Jan 2005

SPECIALLY selected police officers from all eight Scottish constabularies have been trained to use controversial plastic-bullet guns in order to cope with possible crowd violence during the G8 summit at Gleneagles in July.

The Scotsman has learned that officers will be sanctioned to use the weapons, which have been widely criticised by human rights groups.

It is understood that officers armed with the baton-round guns will be on standby around the site of the summit itself and in all major population centres, particularly Edinburgh, where the authorities are expecting large-scale protests that could involve tens of thousands of demonstrators.

Last night Brian Powrie, chief superintendent of Tayside Police, who is in charge of the G8 planning operation, said: "The use of baton rounds by police officers is one of a range of less lethal options currently available, in certain circumstances, as a proportionate and necessary response throughout the UK."

Frances Curran, the West of Scotland Scottish Socialist MSP, yesterday lodged a motion calling for clarification over the use of rubber bullets and baton rounds by Scottish police forces, claiming people could come under siege in their own country as a result of the weapons.

Last September all Scottish police forces brought in baton guns to be used by specialist firearms officers, although a single round has yet to be fired. The ammunition, known as baton rounds, uses a plastic compound which is shaped into a blunt projectile. The baton rounds can still cause fatal wounds if they strike a person’s head or chest area.