CONTROVERSIAL stun guns are being used by North-East police officers far more often than elsewhere in the country, according to official figures.

The region's forces had used their Tasers 83 times by the end of last year, actually firing them on 25 of those occasions.

Of those 83 occasions, Northumbria (36) topped the list, followed by the Durham force (30) and Cleveland (17).

In contrast, the forces covering many of Britain's biggest cities - including Manchester (nine), Bristol (five), Nottingham (two) and Leicester (two) - used Tasers far more sparingly.

Amnesty International has fiercely criticised the use of the US-manufactured weapons, saying they can be lethal.

The human rights group says 152 people died in the US over a five-year period after being shot with Tasers, 61 of them in 2005.

Last October, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPPC) investigated the death of a North-East father days after he was hit by a baton round and two stun gun shocks during a siege.

The father-of-seven, who died of a suspected heart attack, was taken into custody after allegedly threatening a woman with a Samurai sword during a two-hour stand-off in Sacriston, near Chester-le-Street.

Brian Loan's family demanded an investigation into the arrest saying they did not believe he had just died of heart disease.

His daughter, Lisa, said at the time she would always believe her father's death was linked to the confrontation. She said: "There was no need to use a baton round or Taser gun on him.

"When he came out of custody he had a broken leg, a severely bruised stomach, lumps on his head and cuts and bruises.

"There was no way he just died of heart disease."

The IPCC said there was no evidence to link the death of Mr Loan with the use of the Taser. An inquest into his death will be held in Gateshead, on Wednesday.

Last night, Durham Police defended Tasers, and insisted they were an "extremely effective

tool" whose use had always resulted in a successful outcome.

A spokesman said: "On occasions when a Taser has been presented, the very sight of it has been enough to quickly secure an arrest.

"The Taser is a tremendous tactical option because it is 'less than lethal' and those subjected to it recover rapidly without any lasting effects."

A spokesman for the Cleveland force said: "Like conventional firearms, the last thing we want is to see the Taser weapon used.

"But there have been no serious injuries reported from the use of Taser weapons across the country and it stands as the safest, less lethal option to deal with armed or dangerous suspects."

The Home Office figures show that the Durham force fired Tasers on 12 occasions, Cleveland seven times and Northumbria three times.

On the remaining occasions, the stun guns were drawn or aimed, sometimes with a red dot projected onto the target.

More than 3,000 Tasers, which temporarily disable a suspect by delivering a 50,000-volt shock, have been distributed to firearms officers since 2004.

Last month, the Home Office announced that the stun guns could be used when police officers face violence or threats of violence.

Until the change, their use was restricted to circumstances when they could have used a conventional firearm.

According to the figures, North Yorkshire force did not use a Taser at all.

They were used most often in London (152 times), followed by West Yorkshire (60) and North Wales (47).