More police able to use stun guns

More officers are to be armed with electro-shock weapons

More Devon and Cornwall police officers will be armed with Taser electronic stun guns in a new pilot scheme which is under way.

It is one of 10 forces across the UK to take part in the trial.

In the past the 50,000-volt devices were only issued to specialist firearms officers and used only as an alternative to lethal force.

However the Taser can now be used by specially trained units, not just authorised firearms officers.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall police said: "Just as with firearms incidents, authorisation will still be required for their use."

Human rights

Human rights campaign group, Amnesty International, has voiced concerns about the pilot scheme, which allows officers to use the weapons in situations when a suspect is unarmed.

It claimed stun guns were potentially lethal and there have been numerous deaths in the US because they have been misused.

Amnesty's arms programme director, Oliver Sprague, said: "We're worried that this could be the start of a slippery slope towards further arming of the police."

Tasers deliver powerful electric shocks and are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to regular police weapons.