POLICE fired a Taser on a man in Bicester last night before he was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill.

The 51-year-old – who is currently in custody - was hit with the 50,000 volt electric shock gun when officers were called to a property in Duxford Close at about 10pm.

Paramedics were called to the scene but the man was uninjured, police said.

Supt Colin Paine, area commander for West Oxfordshire and Cherwell, has moved to reassure people over the use of the stun gun.

He said: "I would like to reassure the local community that Taser use is a staged process, on many occasions the use of the laser sight, or red dot, is enough to encourage people to comply.

"Taser is only considered for use in cases where it is necessary and proportionate to the behaviour the officer encounters. These are incidents where officers are faced with someone who is threatening a significant level of violence towards themselves, others or the attending officer.

"Further, only qualified Thames Valley Police officers are permitted to carry Tasers."

Last year Thames Valley Police trained more frontline response officers to use Tasers more than doubling the number trained up to 485 – 11 per cent of the force.