OFFICERS armed with Taser stun guns are patrolling the streets of Bromley after the borough was chosen to be one of the first in London to have the weapons.

From today (July 2) Bromley has 40 officers who are trained to use the guns and at any one time a maximum of four of them will be on patrol in two cars.

It is part of a gradual rollout of Taser to all London boroughs with only four other boroughs – Harrow, Barking & Dagenham, Enfield and Kingston - chosen to have them before the Olympics.

Tasers are also used by the Met’s CO19 Firearms Command and the Territorial Support Group units.

Chief Inspector Darren Murphy, from Bromley Police, said: “Taser has been safely and effectively used by the Metropolitan Police since 2003.

“This is about making sure that our officers are best equipped in their duty to protect the public.

“It enables restraint of violent individuals safely and efficiently, it is often less harmful to offenders than striking them with an asp or using CS spray and it is a less lethal option than using a firearm.

“Any time that a Taser is discharged the circumstances will be looked at for monitoring purposes and for transparency.

“There is a robust system of accountability including unique identification on each discharge and downloads from the Taser itself.”