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Armed police in Nottinghamshire were called to more incidents last year, new figures show – but the force’s armed officers have not discharged their weapons at all in the last 15 years.

The rise in calls comes amid an increase in the number of armed incidents in England and Wales.

Human rights organisation Liberty said the use of guns in the UK should be “rolled back” to protect the most marginalised and “overpoliced” communities, while one senior police officer praised the “professionalism” of armed officers.

In the year to March 2023, Nottinghamshire Police sent armed officers to 196 operations, compared with 142 in the previous 12 months.

Nationally there were 18,395 police firearms operations in the year ending March 31 – a slight increase on the previous year, when there were 18,257. (Photo by: Simon Hulme/nationalworld.com)

In the year to March 2020, the last full year before the Covid pandemic took effect, there were 295 operations in Nottinghamshire.

Nationally, there were 18,395 firearms operations in the year ending March 31, a slight increase on the previous year, when there were 18,257.

Of these incidents, 10 saw police firearms intentionally fired, six more than the previous 12 months.

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Emmanuelle Andrews, Liberty policy and campaigns manager, said: “Instead of increasing the use of guns and handing the police new powers to use different weapons, we need to see use rolled back.

“The Government should invest in solutions our communities really need, like funding for youth services, better access to mental health help, and action on poverty, so we get to the root cause of the social issues policing so often responds to.”

The figures also reveal a slight rise in the number of Nottinghamshire Police officers trained to use firearms, up to 58 from 56 the year before.

Nationally, there were 6,651 armed officers as of March 2023, down from 6,677 the previous year.

Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, National Police Chiefs’ Council armed policing lead, said he was proud firearms were only discharged 10 times.

He said: “A mark of the quality of training armed officers receive is how infrequently they have to use their weapons. It is a testament to the professionalism of our armed officers that only 0.05 per cent of deployments end with a firearm actually discharged.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “Deadly force continues to be used very rarely by police, testament to the training, skill and judgement of firearms officers.”

Armed Nottinghamshire Police officers called to more incidents last year