ALL frontline uniformed police officers could soon be eligible to carry a Taser as around 80 per cent of those polled in Wiltshire supported a rollout of the training programme.

On Monday the Police Federation of England and Wales voted unanimously to support a policy that all operational police officers who wish to volunteer should have the opportunity to successfully complete Taser training and be issued and authorised to carry a Taser.

The move comes amid the heightened terror threat across the country and in the wake of more localised incidents.

Last week a Taser disguised as an iPhone was recovered during a raid in Westlea, along with an 11-inch knife, and the issue was debated nationally in the case of PC Lee Birch in April 2014.

PC Birch was found not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and misconduct in public office following a trial at Bristol Crown Court after using a Taser during a strip search of a man in a Melksham custody suite.

Officers on the front line say the Taser is a more effective tool to defuse situations than restraint techniques or other methods.

PC Jamie Brown, a Taser-trained response officer in Swindon, said: “The Taser is the most important tool we have a lot of the time.

“Once you get that out people can calm down very quickly. Most of the time you just have to point it and when they see that red dot on them they realise it’s not worth it.”

After the case of PC Birch, Wiltshire Police conducted a review of the use of the Taser and have now adopted criteria for those applying to be trained.

Mike White, chairman of the Wiltshire Police Federation, said: “What we find is officers feel Taser is an effective tool to defuse a situation and calm people down. It is certainly better than physically restraining someone, and officers will say just pointing a Taser can have a huge impact.

“Certainly, if you have a new recruit compared to a well-built officer, they will both be able to exert the same authority if carrying Taser.

“One of the things that came out of the review we conducted after the Lee Birch case was that we needed to apply a selection criteria. While it was legitimate not to have it, it has now been put in place as best practice.

“There is a large push from front line officers at the moment, and the chief has also indicated he would like to see this extended to neighbourhood police who may be based in remote areas.”

Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “This is a step in the right direction and we will now work with ACPO, individual chief officers, the Superintendents’ Association and the Home Office to progress this as a matter of urgency.

"We have long called for a wider roll-out of Taser. Now the time is right for all operational police officers to have the option to carry Taser, which I believe will provide greater public reassurance.”

Following a review of Taser use last year, IPCC Commissioner Cindy Butts said: “In light of the significant increase in Taser use it is important to ensure that the device is being used appropriately and not as a default choice where other tactical options, including communication, could be effective.”