considered by the Bermuda Police.

Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay said: "There has been much discussion in the UK about pepper sprays.

"There is a lot of talk about pepper sprays as opposed to CS gas.'' Most UK forces are now issued with small CS gas sprays, usually carried on a belt.

But there have been some concerns about potential long-term effects of the CS sprays, which has led to work on pepper sprays as a replacement, although the UK Home Office, in charge of law and order in England and Wales, have approved CS sprays.

Mr. Lemay said he had discussed the latest pepper spray equipment on a recent fact-finding trip to Britain, where he visited the Home Office technical labs.

But he added that -- at present -- the Bermuda Police would not be rushing into buying any kind of sprays.

He said: "The topic has come up from time to time -- it's something we are not ruling out, but we're not thinking about it at this present time.'' Mr. Lemay, however, added he would be keeping an eye on developments in the UK with a view to considering the suitability of pepper sprays as standard kit for the Bermuda force in the future.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "If the police want to use them, that's okay by us.

"We have done lots of tests and checks and as far as we are concerned, CS sprays are safe.'' He added all but one or two forces in England and Wales have the CS gas sprays available.

Mr. Lemay, however, ruled out the use of spiked belts, also used in the UK.

The belts are thrown across roads to puncture the tyres of vehicles, avoiding potentially dangerous car chases.

But Mr. Lemay said they could not be used in Bermuda, because of the large amount of motorcycles.

He explained: "They're very dangerous if you're trying to stop a motorcycle.'' Mr. Lemay said the large blades embedded in the belts, designed to stop cars, would shred the smaller tyres of a motorcycle, which would lead to loss of control and potentially serious injuries or death.