5 OCTOBER 1985, Page 5

ARMS UNCONTROL

WHEN a British soldier negligently dis- charges a firearm, he is liable to a fine amounting to a maximum of 28 days' gross pay: it is not uncommon for a soldier serving in Northern Ireland to be fined £800. When a British policeman accidentally discharges a firearm (the police, less self-critical, describe such mis- takes as accidental rather than negligent), no such standard penalty exists. Recent events in Birmingham and London suggest that to restore public confidence, the police must now adopt firearms rules as strict as the Army's.