Laser 'riot' gun in police trials

Police are to trial a laser gun that fires a blinding wall of light in a bid to stop rioters.

The SMU 100 temporarily blinds anyone caught in its beam, which can be three metres square and projected to distances of up to 500m (1,640ft).

Similar weapons have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect military convoys from insurgent attacks.

Paul Kerr, the managing director of the Clyde-based Photonic Security Systems who developed the SMU 100, told The Sunday Times that police could "paint" potential offenders with the laser to make them think twice about their actions.