The 50,000-volt zappers were successfully tested in Calderdale.

Now Sir Norman Bettison has exclusively told the Courier that the trials, which began in June when Tasers were carried by 30 beat bobbies, had gone very well.

He said: "I wouldn't want to see all officers with one as part of their uniform.

"But what I can see is all police cars being equipped with Tasers.

"If officers are called to an incident they know could be potentially violent or if a non-violent matter suddenly escalates, officers have immediate access to one."

Speaking after Friday's drama in Brig-house, in which police shot a man with a conventional gun, he said: "The whole point of Tasers is to protect the public and police in the face of violence.

"I want people to understand the benefits of police having Tasers, not for Tasers to put fear in people.

"Without the Taser, police have either a baton – which can cause serious injuries – or, in the case of firearms officers, a gun. And wherever possible we don't want people being shot."

Comment

Policing is all about community issues and familiar faces, says Chief Constable Bettison