Kent Police are to get 150 more tasers - thanks to additional funding from the government.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has agreed to give Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott £123,750 to pay for the portable machines officers can use to give an electric shock to an offender to immobilise him or her.

The grant will help Kent's Chief Constable Alan Pughsley achieve his aim of supplying every front-line police officer in Kent with a taser, if they want one and pass the training.

Mr Scott: "I’m delighted that Priti Patel is taking assaults on police officers seriously by providing this funding.

"And by seeking to double prison sentences for attacks on emergency services workers, a strong message is being sent that these assaults are completely unacceptable.

"I have campaigned for more tasers to be provided to the frontline. I am doing my bit locally to keep police officers, staff and the public safe by supporting the roll-out to every officer in Kent who wants one – including many Special Constables.

"Police officers, staff and volunteers do difficult and dangerous things on our behalf so it’s vital we do all we can to support them."

Today’s funding announcement comes in the same week the government allocated Kent £1,082,215 of ‘surge funding’ to tackle violent crime.

Kent’s Violence Reduction Unit has also been allocated £1,160,000 for 2020/21 to continue its multi-agency preventative work.

Mr Scott said: "Crime - including offences involving knifes - is starting to fall in Kent and anti-social behaviour is down.

"Thanks to my budget plans, there could soon be more officers in Kent than ever before. And Kent remains the best-rated force by independent inspectors."

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