In response to the news that West Yorkshire police admit to losing a Taser electroshock weapon, Amnesty International has produced a response:

Amnesty International’s UK Arms Programme Director Oliver Sprague said:

“It is extremely alarming to learn that a Taser may be in the hands of someone who’s not trained to use it. Tasers are potentially lethal.

“There’s simply no room for schoolboy errors when it comes to this weapon.

“Amnesty International has insisted that Tasers should not be in the hands of civilians and we would echo the appeal for it to be found quickly and returned to a locked box as soon as possible.”

Note to the Editor

Over the last ten years, from 2001 to March 2011, Amnesty International has recorded that 458 people have died after being struck by a Taser in the USA.