GREATER Manchester Police are considering introducing water cannons to quell riots.

The force has confirmed it is in talks with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to share their water cannon to maintain public order at big events here.

Water cannon have been used during the Troubles.

GMP began considering how to improve the way it polices big events after Rangers fans went on the rampage in the city in May last year.

Then, the force struggled to cope as an estimated 150,000 Rangers fans travelled to Manchester for the Uefa cup final with Zenit St Petersburg.

Force bosses said it was their duty to consider new tactics but insisted the introduction of water cannon was 'a long way off'.

The Metropolitan Poice are also considering using water cannon.

Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd expressed concern about having water cannon on the streets of the city - and called on the police to spell out how and when they might be used.

He said: "There needs to be a public debate about this.

"We don't want GMP to suddenly announce they are arriving on Tuesday. I don't want to see water cannon used on the streets of Manchester but I would sooner have them than other things.

"If a hundred police officers suddenly faced 1,000 drunken, violent football supporters, then it may be for those fans' own protection better to use water cannon than police horses or tear gas or rubber bullets.

"But we need to know what the drivers are behind this and what are the circumstances in which these could be used.

"With Tasers, police aim them at you because you are a bad person who has done bad things.

"A water cannon is a much more indiscriminate form of crowd control. You can think of circumstances when police are entitled to say, 'Well, hang on, why should I get a battering because we haven't got access to the right form of crowd control?'

"They may be right. We need a public debate."

Chief Supt Phil Hollowood, commander of GMP's Specialist Operations Branch, said: "When disorder occurs it is our job to protect the public, property and police officers - in that order - and we have a responsibility to look at the different tactics and equipment at our disposal to best achieve that.

"We have been sensibly and carefully considering the different options available and have had very early dialogue with colleagues in the PSNI as they have in the past used water cannon.

"We have tentatively looked at the feasibility of using mutual aid to borrow that resource if we felt that there was a pre-planned event where there was a serious risk of major disorder.

"However, those discussions are at a very early stage and we will not be in a position where we would be close to deciding on the use of water cannons for some time to come and their use, if ever, on Manchester's streets is a long way off."