Knife-bearers face Taser arrest

Anyone carrying a knife on the street in Devon and Cornwall risks being shot with a Taser electric stun gun, police have warned.

The gun works by firing darts that release a 50,000-volt electric shock which causes temporary paralysis.
Police said they would deal with such situations involving knives "robustly".
The Taser is classed as a "less lethal" alternative to firearms, although the weapons have been criticised by human rights groups.

Although knife crime in Devon and Cornwall has fallen by 10% in recent years, police said they would still employ the stuns guns if necessary.

Supt John Green of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We'd like to make it clear that if you carry knives in the Devon and Cornwall area that we'll take it very seriously and deal with it very robustly.
"You stand a chance of being incapacitated and taken to the ground by use of a Taser."

The human rights group Amnesty has linked Tasers to about 70 deaths in the US, and mental health groups also fear they are being used too often.