The paramilitary face of a policewoman armed with handgun, taser, flak jacket and nine other pieces of equipment

This is the reality of frontline policing in Britain today.

The officer pictured right is a firearms officer working with Merseyside Police's Matrix gun crime unit.

She was taking part in raids in which 12 arrests were made in Liverpool on Tuesday as part of the Rhys Jones murder inquiry.

She is carrying not only a Glock handgun, a standard-issue weapon for most police officers trained to use firearms, but also the more modern Taser stun gun.

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The female officer taking part in police raids to arrest suspects in connection with the murder of schoolboy Rhys Jones yesterday has a staggering 12 pieces of equipment

Tasers - which temporarily disable a suspect - are becoming a more common sight around the country.

They dispense a 50,000-volt electric charge and can be used only by firearms officers confronted by an armed suspect.

Her bulky body armour is a sign of the times for frontline officers - it is designed to protect against bullets and knives.

There is little danger that she will be far from contact with any of her colleagues, since she is also carrying two radios and a mobile phone.

Most police forces have now switched to secure 390Mhz digital radios that communicate via the encrypted Tetra network.

The upgraded system is designed to improve communication and give better coverage in rural areas than old-style non-digital radios.

All 43 forces in England and Wales have firearms support units, including the Metropolitan Police's crack SO19 unit.

After the six-week course in the use of weaponry and firearms tactics, each officer must refresh and requalify four times a year and train for two days per month.

The number of women becoming firearms officers is still relatively low.

Between 2002 and 2005, 1,083 male officers applied for firearms training within the Metropolitan Police Service compared with only 50 women.

Across England and Wales, there are 6,728 firearms officers and the split between men and women is thought to be replicated in other forces.

It was almost a century ago that Britain's first female police officer was sworn in. Edith Smith joined up in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1915.