A plastic bullet or plastic baton round (PBR) is a less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon, they have caused a number of deaths. They are generally used for riot control. Plastic bullets were invented in 1973 by the British security forces for use against rioters in Northern Ireland. They were developed to replace their rubber bullets in an attempt to reduce fatalities. If misused they can still cause fatal injury.