THE death of policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky, gunned down by robbers in Bradford, has inevitably reignited the debate about whether all British officers should be armed.

Whenever the question is raised, we believe the most important people to listen to are police officers themselves.

Most of them do not want to routinely carry guns, although they do have concerns that there are not enough officers trained to use firearms.

Heartbreaking and shocking though Friday's shooting was, the killing of a police officer is a thankfully rare occurrence. And we believe that arming all officers would ultimately do more harm than good.

The relationship between the police and the public is at the heart of effective law enforcement.

It is a relationship dependent on confidence and trust, and that would be threatened by the carrying of guns.

It is, of course, right that the debate is held and all the arguments examined. But arming our police officers is a perilous path to tread and one which leads to an escalation of violence.

We must all simply remember the huge difficulties faced by police officers every day they go out into our communities to do their jobs.

Every assignment - no matter how trivial it may seem - has the potential for grave danger.

And that is why officers like Sharon Beshenivsky deserve our gratitude.