Daily Record

Transport cops debut Taser power

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BRITISH Transport Police used a Taser just weeks after being armed with the weapons in Scotland.

The incident happened at Edinburgh Waverley railway station in October.

Officers trained a red dot target on a 34-year-old man but the Taser was not fired.

It is the only time a Taser has been used since some BTP officers started carrying them in September, freedom of informatio­n figures show.

Following a request by the BBC, it was also revealed that 43 BTP officers in Scotland now carry Tasers.

They make up almost a quarter of the 151-strong force north of the Border.

The move to arm transport police in Scotland with Tasers brought officers into line with their counterpar­ts in England and Wales, where Tasers have been deployed since 2011.

Chief Superinten­dent John McBride, the BTP’s divisional commander for Scotland, said: “It provides a consistent approach to protecting rail users.”

 ??  ?? ARMED The stun gun
ARMED The stun gun

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