FIREARMS officers at a North-East police force have become the latest in the region to be trained in the use of stun guns.
Northumbria Police has introduced the Taser - weapons that shoot two barbs into an offender and can deliver a 50,000-volt electrical charge, enough to knock a suspect to the ground.
Last year, armed officers in the force area were deployed at 977 suspected firearms incidents - the majority turned out to be false alarms or involved air guns.
Officers say the new weapon offers them a less risky option than deploying trained marksmen.
Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Mathieson said: "The prime aim of firearms officers is to bring an incident to a safe conclusion without any injury or loss of life and it is a simple fact that less-lethal weapons can prevent lives being lost.
"We are always looking for a proportional response to any threat posed and this gives us another option to manage a conflict situation peacefully.
"While the technology is not risk free, it is very unlikely to cause serious or life-threatening injuries."
Durham Constabulary announced in February it was to buy 15 Taser guns, while Cleveland Police are looking for funding to deploy the weapons in the force's area.
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