There are also special provisions in relation to the police. In such cases the courts make a distinction between operational and policy matters. The police can be held liable (with some exceptions) for the former, but not the latter. This distinction is clearly evidenced in Rigby v Chief Constable of Northamptonshire [1985] 2 All ER 985. Here the police had negligently fired a canister of CS gas into the plaintiff’s shop, which was under siege, without taking adequate precautions against the high risk of fire. When a fire occurred, the plaintiff was successful in his claim against the police, as this was a negligent operational act.