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UK: Army has anti-riot chemicals

01 March 1998

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A report in the Independent newspaper claims that the British Army is stockpiling the CR (Dibenz-1:4-Oxazepine) chemical, which is more volatile than the controversial CS gas sprays currently used by police, to disperse crowds. The chemical, which would be fired from a water cannon, was declared under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is said to cause: "sore eyes and breathing difficulties. Although its effects are not thought to be lasting, it causes extreme discomfort."

The Royal Ulster Constabulary have denied that the chemical is destined for use in northern Ireland, saying that they prefer to use plastic bullets for crowd control. Other police forces have also denied keeping CR but the newspaper believes that it would "be used in circumstances where the army was called in to support them [police] against rioters."

CS gas cartridges were notoriously, and almost certainly illegally, used by the police to disperse crowds during the Liverpool uprisings of 1981. After the event chief constable, Kenneth Oxford, acknowledged "that some of the equipment used (Ferret cartridges) should not be used again to deal with public disorder..."; the CS equipment in question was for military use and designed for "barrier penetration" and designated "lethal". At least five people were seriously injured during this experiment in dispersing crowds.

Independent 17.2.98.

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