In November 2008, then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith released an estimated £8-10 million  to train 30,000 rank and file patrol officers to use Taser stun guns, following successful trials in pilot forces. Now the Metropolitan Police and Sussex  Police have refused the Home Office plans to extend the use of the  50,000-volt stun guns to other than specially trained firearms officers and there are indications that other forces may follow suit, fearing that negative public reaction to the use of Tasers may damage  public confidence.

The concern comes after a series of  negative press articles reporting the inappropriate use of the weapons, examples being where Taser were used to subdue an 89 year old man who was attempting to commit suicide and where North Wales Police stunned a sheep that had strayed onto a busy highway.

The Home office do maintain that Tasers are non-lethal weapons despite reports from the United States which indicate that at least  30 people a year are killed by Tasers.

A Home office spokesman yesterday indicated  that is it is up to individual police forces to decide whether they want to deploy tasers to non firearms trained officers.

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