Police federation sends warning over shortage of firearms officers

A national shortage of armed police is leaving Britain vulnerable to terror attack, the Police Federation of England and Wales has said.

Officers are not volunteering to carry guns because they fear being "hung out to dry" and treated like a suspect if they discharge their weapon, the federation claimed.

Its chairman Steve White warned that Government's plans announced last month to train another 1,500 firearms officers to deal with the terror threat looked doubtful.

The warning comes as a survey of 16,800 officers shows that while 40 per cent fear they will be attacked at work, just half this number (20 per cent) have or want personal firearms.

Mr White told the Press Association: "Before we even start talking about recruiting the extra 1,500, we are struggling to fill the vacancies we have currently got because of the lack of understanding and protection that officers would have if they have to discharge their firearm.

"That's what this survey says - we do fear violence, but officers don't want to carry firearms because they are concerned that if they discharge it, they are going to get arrested for murder.

"But it is all connected with how officers are feeling - they are feeling vulnerable, they are feeling under threat. And if they are feeling like that ordinarily, why would they take the extra step to volunteer to carry guns? It is just more pressure, it is just more potential criticism.

"The Government has got to provide a message to the service, not that it has a get out of jail free card, but that officers will be supported appropriately and fairly in order to encourage officers to step forward and take on additional responsibility."

David Cameron announced last month that money will be ring-fenced to boost the number of firearms officers after terror attacks in Brussels and Paris.

Mr White warned there are "worrying" inconsistencies in the service nationally that have left some forces without firearms officers and reliant on neighbouring forces for coverage.

He added: "This isn't necessarily about the individual police officers, this is about our ability as a service to provide the level of protection that members of the public quite rightly expect.

"I think many members of the public think we have a lot more firearms officers than we actually have. I think they probably think we are all equipped with Tasers. It simply isn't the case.

"The inconsistency around the service is worrying, because no longer can we assume that if there is some kind of terrorist outrage that it is going to happen in the capital."

Mr White's comments come days after the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Britain was raised from moderate to substantial.

He was speaking ahead of the federation's annual conference this week, with Home Secretary Theresa May expected to get a tense reception when she addresses officers on Tuesday.

The federation said officers are being "let down time and again" by ministers who are not providing them with kit such as Tasers and body-worn video.

The poll found that for many police officers, abuse, assaults and the threat of violence have become quite common.

About 44 per cent of officers said they had received verbal threats at least once a month, while 7 per cent said it happened daily.

More than a third (35 per cent) experienced unarmed physical attacks at least once a month, while 6 per cent said they were attacked with a potentially lethal weapon such as a bottle or gun at least once a month.

PA