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.