TASERS are being used more often by police in Thames Valley, new figures have revealed.

Police officers in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire drew their Tasers 778 times in 2018 to 2019, the latest Home Office statistics have shown – up from 519 the year before.

During these incidents, Tasers were discharged on 77 occasions.

The devices, which deliver a high-voltage electric shock, were also used to deter suspects.

In 411 cases, officers aimed and partially activated the Taser so a red target dot appeared on them.

UK police forces first trialled Tasers in 2003, with a full roll-out completed a decade later.

Officers must decide whether using a Taser is legal, proportionate and necessary in a situation.

The Home Office has recently announced a £10million Taser cash boost, but the Thames Valley Police Federation head, Craig O'Leary, said it 'will not touch the sides' of the funding actually required to roll out the kit properly. Mr O’Leary said that while the investment is important, more is needed to ensure Taser in the hands of officers who need it. He said: “£10m sounds wonderful and sounds like a lot of money which I’m not belittling. But realistically, it’s not going to touch the sides amongst 43 forces, for training, for equipment, for the cost of paying Axon [Taser suppliers] for the kit.”