West Yorkshire Police used Tasers when dealing with children nearly 50 times in a year

Home Office data recorded the use of the weapon on under-18s by police forces over 2019-20.

The statistics include incidents in which a Taser was drawn or aimed, and not just incidents in which a Taser was fired.

Of the 49 times Tasers were used on children by police in West Yorkshire - which was down from 50 the previous year - it was fired on just one occasion, while 21 incidents involved the Taser being drawn or aimed and 27 incidents saw people being 'red dotted', the Force said.

Across all 43 police forces in England and Wales, Tasers were used on children on 2,818 occasions (up from 1,700 the previous year).

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England says that the recorded increase in the use of Tasers against children by police forces across England and Wales is “alarming”, adding that “being threatened” with a Taser can be “extremely frightening” for a child, even if it is not fired.

Overall, officers at West Yorkshire Police recorded using some form of force on children on 2,436 occasions last year - 56 per cent of those were for restraint, which can include handcuffing, restraining someone on the ground, or using specialist equipment to reduce the movement of someone’s arms and legs, as well as the use of firearms, batons, shields, irritant spray and dogs.

Matt Twist, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for self-defence and restraint, said force is “rarely used in the vast majority” of officers’ interactions with the public.

He added: “When it is necessary to use force - for example, when someone poses an immediate danger to others or themselves - it is used proportionately and lawfully."

A Home Office spokesman said: “Our brave police put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public - it is vital they have the equipment and tactics they need to reduce crime and stay safe on the job.”

T/Assistant Chief Constable Scott Bisset, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The incidents involving younger people formed an extremely small proportion of incidents where Tasers were drawn by officers. In only one of these 49 occurrences was the device actually discharged. In this single instance officers attended a report of an armed robbery involving masked offenders and confronted a 17 year old suspect.

“Tasers are only carried by specially trained officers and deployed in very specific circumstances where there is a real risk of physical harm to officers, a suspect or other members of the public.

“In these situations the use of Taser has proved to be highly successful in supporting officers to resolve incidents where there is an increased risk of injury to all parties.

“It must be stressed that the most widely used tactic by the Police is where a police officer will resolve the incident by talking to the people involved.

“West Yorkshire officers are trained to use the minimum level of force which is proportionate, necessary and justified. Where a Taser is deployed this is reviewed by a senior officer which will also include a review of Body Worn Video footage to ensure transparency and accountability. Police officers put themselves in harm’s way 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. This data set also shows that during the same period Police Officers and staff were physically injured 631 times.”