THE rioting and looting which recently took place throughout England was as serious as any which took place here in the North of Ireland, yet those in charge of policing deemed it unnecessary to use lethal weapons -- i.e. plastic bullets.

The lesson to be learned is that there are alternative methods which can be deployed in dealing with such public order issues.

Will the Police Service of Northern Ireland take this on board and decommission plastic bullets?

Jim McCabe
Belfast, Northern Ireland