THE latest stun weapons issued to police in Avon and Somerset have been dubbed "potentially lethal" by Amnesty International.

Authorised Firearms Officers in the force area were given the go-ahead to carry Tasers from last week.

The weapons were called "the less lethal option" by Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen, who said officers had undergone rigorous training, but an Amnes-ty International spokesman said: "Tasers are potentially lethal and inherently open to abuse."

For the full story, see this week's Somerset County Gazette.