Time to invest in some of this gear?

Water cannons on standby for summer riots

GERMAN-made water cannons are to be approved for use in mainland Britain within weeks, the Sunday Express understands.?



Home Secretary Theresa May is said to be in favour of their deployment by police for the first time outside of Northern Ireland amid fears of summer riots.

Both the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) have requested them to tackle any civil unrest caused by welfare cuts and June's G8 meeting of world leaders.

The cannons, which would revolutionise riot control tactics and mark a move towards tougher European-style policing, would be available to other forces as a "national asset", Scotland Yard said yesterday.

Talks are at such an advanced stage that the type of cannon they want to use has even been identified.

The intimidating Ziegler Wasserwerfer 9000 is capable of carrying up to 9,000 litres of water, or even tear gas, which can be fired at rioters at the powerful rate of 1,100 litres per second.

The jet is mounted on a heavy-duty vehicle weighing 29 tonnes that is also equipped with CCTV cameras and searchlights at both the front and rear.

They are understood to cost about £1.3million each, with an order for three being considered.

The Met believes they would be a "valuable option in rare situations" and it has worked with Acpo to develop a formal business case detailing the operational, technical and medical implications of using them.

It is understood that an initial Home Office licence would cover the use of basic water only.

Approvals for the use of tear gas and "smart water", which contains an invisible marking that identifies a suspect's presence at a riot, would not be given.

But there are concerns about the direct and indirect injuries often caused by their use in other countries.

Last night, Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said Mrs May needed to "tread very carefully" on the issue and called for full public consultation before any decision.

However, the Home Office said no legislation was required and consultation would be "unlikely".

During the summer riots of 2011, David Cameron said water cannon from Northern Ireland could be shipped over at 24 hours' notice, but a formal licence for the Met would mean they would have their vehicles ready at any time.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has previously voiced opposition to using water cannons, but the G8 protests represent a serious threat.

Mrs May is concerned about thousands of anarchists and other protesters from North America and Europe converging on Britain next month.

Full article here...

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/397113/Water-c...dby-for-summer-riots

I can't find the video, but wasn't one used on Eng-er-lund fans at the Euro's ? in France maybe?

It was hilarious at the time. It was all kicking off and this beastie came round the corner. It's cannon was sending tables chairs and people flying, scary!

Water cannons in use during the 1960s, which were generally adapted fire trucks, would knock protesters down and on occasion, tear their clothes.
Anecdotal reports indicate that people can walk away from an encounter with a water cannon with serious internal injuries such as a ruptured spleen.[citation needed] If such injuries are ignored, death could occur later. A high pressure modern water cannon can achieve pressure of up to 30 bars (3,000 kPa) which can result in broken bones.
On 30 September 2010, during a protest demonstration against the Stuttgart 21 project in Germany, a demonstrator was hit in the face by a water cannon. The eye injuries thus inflicted on the man resulted in near-complete loss of eyesight.[5][6] Graphic imagery was recorded of the event, sparking a national debate about police brutality and proportionality in the use of state force.
According to a report issued in the United Kingdom, using plastic bullets instead of water cannon was justified because the latter "are inflexible and indiscriminate", although several people had previously been killed[7] or seriously injured by plastic bullets.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cannon

It occurs to me that the wankers in charge have a habit of calling peaceful protestors 'rioters', and of sending in agent provocateurs to stir up aggression.

Hilarious German name... but only lasts under 9 seconds at full pelt? Sounds a bit shit really!

Space Bandit wrote:
Ooh hark at the stud

jhado wrote:
For £1.3million I reckon I could pimp that up a bit.

£1.3 million ? ffs

we could do some damage with that kind of money eh?

probably most to ourselves

jhado wrote:
For £1.3million it should be able to repel meteors!
or engage in large scale water fights with France across the channel.