Stun gun sales to shoot up for Taser firm

THE US firm that makes the stun gun used by British police forces is expecting increased sales because of demands that all officers are equipped with Tasers.

Since March, the weapon has been authorised for use by firearms officers in the UK. But the numbers are expected to grow, because the Police Federation, which represents junior police ranks, has reportedly called for funding to supply a Taser for every British officer.

Kevin Coles, co-founder of Protec Systems, the UK distributor, said up to 7000 firearms officers in Britain have either been issued with - or trained to use - the device. Equipping all of the UK's police forces would increase sales by more than 90 per cent to 140,000, according to manufacturer Taser International.