The UK gave a licence for tear gas exports to Hong Kong in January

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong alleged that the CS gas grenades used against them yesterday were made in Britain, highlighting the potentially controversial consequences of the coalition government’s promotion of British arms exports.

A series of images posted by Hong Kong protesters showed what appeared to be CS gas grenades manufactured by the British company Chemring Defence, which produces smoke, illumination and tear gas products for military and riot control use.

The pressure group Campaign Against Arms Trade identifies Chemring as having British governmentapproved export licences to Hong Kong.

CAAT reports that Britain has approved export licences for military or dual-use equipment to Hong Kong totalling almost £1.4 billion since 2008. A British government export licence to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region approved on