Police fire taser guns 164 times in three months

The latest statistics showed electric stun weapons were used 164 times between December last year and the end of February.

Last year the Home Office relaxed the rules on the use of the weapons, which deliver a 50,000 volt disabling shock.

Tasers were permitted for use without a firearms authority for the first time in July.

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And in September ministers launched a pilot programme among ten forces in England and Wales in which non-firearms officers could use Tasers for the first time.

Home Office minister Tony McNulty said Tasers enabled officers to arrest suspects without the use of lethal force.

He said: "Tasers have contributed to resolving incidents without injury where otherwise there would have been a real possibility of someone being seriously injured or killed.

"In most cases they have not needed to be fired, drawing or aiming the Taser has been enough of a deterrent.

"Protection of officers and members of the public is clearly our highest priority.

"The Government will be closely monitoring the trial to evaluate Taser's benefits against any risks."

In the six-month trial period, officers drew their weapons 252 times but fired them 31 times. Twenty-five of these were in the last three months of the trial.

In nearly half the incidents, police had only to use the "red dot" aiming mechanism before the suspect surrendered.

The police watchdog said they were keeping a "close eye" on the wider use of the weapons.

Deborah Glass from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it had received two complaints from the pilot.

"The IPCC is keeping a close eye on the extension of Taser use and if people feel excessive force has been used they should make a complaint.

"So far we have had two referrals of complaints arising from the pilot. We also continue to receive a small number of complaints about Taser use by firearms officers. The numbers are too small to establish whether there are any trends at this point.

"Early indications would therefore be that the increase in Taser use has not been accompanied by a rise in complaints, but if we see any themes or issues emerging as a result of complaints over a longer time period we will ensure these are properly addressed as part of the pilot."

The ten forces involved in the pilot are: Avon & Somerset, Devon & Cornwall, Gwent, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, the Met, North Wales, Northamptonshire, Northumbria and West Yorkshire.