New weapon for police

POLICE officers in Uckfield and Crowborough will be armed with a pepper-style incapacitant from Friday.

The Captor Incapacitant spray temporarily blinds an individual for anything from 30 to 90 minutes but has no long-lasting effects.

The device will be used as an extra defensive tool by police in the fight against public disorder.

Officers across the Weald Division have been trained in the use of the spray and although a very small number of officers have yet to complete their training the spray will be issued in time for this weekend.

Inspector Rob McPhilemy of Uckfield Police welcomed the move.

He said: I think this is very good for the police. It offers an effective level of protection to officers in situations where they are facing a level of violence against them.

It will fill the gap between talking to people and hitting them with a baton.

It will not be nice to get sprayed with this, it s very painful. Although the effects don t last long around half an hour while it does last it will be very uncomfortable.

However, Insp McPhilemy added: Officers will not just be spraying people indiscriminately. This is only for instances where officers or other members of the public are at risk of violence. If people carry out their business in a law abiding way they won t get sprayed.

There will be no long lasting effects from the captor spray, and it ensures compliance without running the risk of causing injury to the offender.

I hope that as people hear the police are equipped with this, perhaps they will react in a different way when spoken to.