With the advent of a new type of aircraft known as the “light fighter”, it became increasingly important to reduce the weight of the ejection seat. At the same time, it was essential that the reduction in weight should not impair the operation and efficiency of the seat in any way. The construction of the Mk4 seat, although retaining the essential components of its predecessors, was therefore considerably modified. The basic 80 feet per second ejection gun was retained, having been proved to be sufficient for all current requirements, as was the Duplex Drogue system deployed by the half second time-delay drogue gun, together with a 1½ second time-release unit. All uses of force must be proportionate, lawful and necessary in the circumstances. Officers will be accountable for all instances where force is used. These narrative reports form part of the management information that should be both collated and analysed by forces. Signs indicating that the behaviour of a person or detainee may be escalating towards physical violence can include:

Risk assessment and decision making should be guided by APP on the NDM, APP on Risk principles and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2012) Personal Safety Manual of Guidance (available via College Learn to registered users only). When identifying options and contingencies, officers are required to apply their training, experience and skill to resolve a situation. They should consider the immediacy of the threat, necessity of their actions, proportionality and the potential community impact. All actions should be subject to continuous review and must be appropriately recorded. Lessons should be learnt, where appropriate. Assessment The ruling in this case is at variance with PACE Code C, Annex A, paragraph 11(e) on strip searches. Despite this ruling, care should clearly be taken in the operational context when considering such intrusive activity. Property removal and storage

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For further information, see ACPO (2012) Personal Safety Manual of Guidance (available via College Learn to registered users only). Cell searches On arrival at the custody suite, the secure environment should mean that conditions are more controlled. As soon as possible, the escorting staff must inform the custody officer about any control methods or restraint techniques used. There is also a responsibility on the custody officer to include this as part of the risk assessment. They should ask the arresting/escorting officer if any control measures or restraint techniques were used during arrest and transportation. Where a detainee is taken directly to a hospital (under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, or for any other medical reason) the doctor taking charge of the patient at the hospital must be told that a Taser has been discharged on the detainee. Staff working in a custody environment must be trained in managing violence. Training should include tactical communication skills as well as recognising and managing positional asphyxia and ABD. Staff should also be trained in techniques for moving detainees and repositioning them from the prone position in accordance with the Personal Safety Manual of Guidance. During the risk assessment process, custody officers should be aware that items of clothing such as ties, belts, shoelaces and cords could be used as ligatures. All staff have a duty of care and must do all that is reasonably possible to protect the right to life under Article 2 of the ECHR.

However, custody officers should, when deciding to remove property, balance the imperative to protect the right to life with the importance of ensuring that a detainee’s dignity is respected. For example, detainees should be allowed to retain their spectacles if there is no significant indication that they may use them to self-harm.Custody officers may (under section 54 of PACE) seize clothing on the grounds that they believe a detainee may use it to harm themselves. See also paragraph 4.2 of PACE Code C. R (on the application of Sessay) v South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust [2011] EWHC 2617 (QB) Section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 suggests that whether or not the use of force was reasonable in the circumstances will be decided with reference to the circumstances as the officer believed them to be at the time of the force, such as when making the arrest. Officers must be aware of the potential risks to the suspect or detainee when using control and restraint techniques and should be guided by the national decision model (NDM) at all times.