16th person arrested - but still only two charged

The man, aged 23, who had not been charged last night, was held on suspicion of firearms offences. It follows the arrests of five men last week.

Two men, aged 28 and 36, were arrested in the Newcastle area on Thursday on suspicion of assisting an offender. They were later released on police bail, pending further inquiries.

Northumbria Police arrested three men, aged 27, 34 and 45, at two addresses in Newcastle and one in Wallsend, on the same charges last Wednesday. They have also been bailed.

So far, only two people have been charged in relation to the inquiry. Karl Ness and Qhuram Awan appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on 8 July charged with conspiracy to commit murder and possessing a firearm with intent.

Ness, 26, from Dudley in North Tyneside, and Awan, 23, from Blyth in Northumberland, were remanded in custody to appear before Newcastle Crown Court later this month.

Moat died after shooting himself in the early hours of 10 July at the end of a six-hour stand-off in the village of Rothbury, Northumberland.

It followed a week-long manhunt for the steroid-abusing father of three, who killed his former girlfriend Samantha Stobbart's new partner, Chris Brown, wounded Ms Stobbart and shot PC David Rathband, 42, in the face, leaving him blind.

Moat went on the rampage after Ms Stobbart told him their relationship was over.

Last week, the opening of the inquest into Moat's death heard that two Tasers had been fired at him at about the same time as the fatal shot.

Two firearms officers from West Yorkshire Police fired XRep Tasers, which have not been approved by the Home Office, it emerged outside the hearing.

The weapon, which is fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, is being tested by the Home Office before being approved for use by police forces in England and Wales.

But the Home Office stressed that police could use any weapon they saw fit as long as its use was "lawful, reasonable and proportionate".

The matter was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) by Northumbria Police.

The force said it would be "inappropriate to comment" on the Tasers while the IPCC investigation was ongoing.

West Yorkshire Police said it was also unable to comment.

Home Office crime prevention minister James Brokenshire visited PC Rathband at Newcastle General Hospital yesterday.

The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup also travelled to Northumberland to speak to officers involved in the hunt for Moat.

PC Rathband continues to receive treatment for the horrific injuries he suffered when the gunman attacked him in his patrol car.

The blinded officer has described how Moat blasted a shotgun at him twice, once directly in the face, through the passenger window of the car.

16th person arrested - but still only two charged - in Raoul Moat investigation