A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT RIOT SHIELDS HAVE BEEN MADE COMMERCIALLY IN GREAT BRITAIN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 1970'S BUT NEARLY ALL WERE SOLD ABROAD. THE SITUATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND NECESSITATED THE USE OF RIOT SHIELDS BY BRITISH SECURITY FORCES AND THESE WERE PRODUCED BY THE STORES AND CLOTHING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHMENT (SCRDE) AND THE ROYAL ELECTRICAL MECHNICAL ENGINEERS (REME). FOLLOWING A PRISON RIOT IN 1976, THE HOME OFFICE INVESTIGATED THE USE OF SHIELDS BY PRISON STAFF IN RIOT SITUATIONS AND CONDUCTED TRIALS ON DIFFERENT SHIELDS. THE LONDON METROPOLITAN POLICE ALSO INQUIRED INTO THE USE OF RIOT SHIELDS FOLLOWING SEVERAL CIVIL DISTURBANCES AND HAD A NUMBER OF SHIELDS MANUFACTURED TO THEIR DESIGN. USE OF THE SHIELDS, HOWEVER, SHOWED THAT THEY GIVE ONLY LIMITED BODY PROTECTION AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE NEEDED SUCH AS SHIN GUARDS AND CRICKET BOXES. THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SHIELDS, HOW THEY SHOULD BE USED, AND WHAT SIZE SHIELD IS OPTIMUM PROTECTION. VARIOUS MATERIALS HAVE BEEN USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHIELDS BUT THE BEST AVAILABLE MATERIAL HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE POLYCARBONATE, THE MATERIAL USED IN BRITISH SHIELDS. ALTHOUGH A VERY TOUGH MATERIAL IT HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN BULLET RESISTANT. FURTHER TESTS ON RIOT SHIELDS ARE NECESSARY. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A LIST OF INJURIES SUSTAINED BY POLICE AT RECENT CONFLICTS AS WELL AS A LIST OF SHIELD MANUFACTURERS. THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SHIELDS ARE ILLUSTRATED AND THEIR SPECIFICATIONS LISTED. (MJW)