Officers south of the border have been using Taser guns

It has been announced that Scottish police will be armed with the weapons, which deliver a 50,000 volt electric shock, by the end of the year.

Officer training is set to begin soon, although the guns will not be in use by the time of the G8 summit in July.

Police said it was likely that the Strathclyde force would be the first to bring in Tasers, possibly in October.

The guns use nitrogen cartridges to fire two barbs which trail copper cable back to the weapon.

It will be up to the individual force when they start using the guns, but obviously it will depend on training Acpos spokeswoman

The barb delivers a five-second 50,000-volt charge that effectively disables and temporarily incapacitates suspects, to enable officers to make a safe arrest.

The guns, which are seen as a less lethal alternative to traditional firearms, will only be issued only to authorised firearms officers.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) approved their use in March.

A spokeswoman said Scottish forces would introduce Tasers after officers had undergone specialist training.

Trained officers

"It will be up to the individual force when they start using the guns, but obviously it will depend on training," she said.

"We don't have a timescale for their introduction but they will definitely not be brought in before the G8."

Strathclyde Chief Constable Willie Rae said: "Taser guns are an alternative for trained firearms officers to use in a life-threatening situation.

They are expected to be introduced in Strathclyde some time after the end of September Chief Constable Willie Rae

"They have been piloted for some time in England and Wales and I want to stress that they are a less lethal alternative for police officers facing life-threatening situations.

"They will only be used by firearms officers following strict guidelines and officers will be given extensive training.

"They are expected to be introduced in Strathclyde some time after the end of September."

The Acpos spokesman on firearms, Tayside's Deputy Chief Constable Ian Gordon, acknowledged that Amnesty International had raised concerns about the safety of Tasers.

Less lethal

But he expressed confidence that their use would minimise risks in already dangerous situations.

"The equipment has been tested and passed as effective by experts and we have been told these weapons are less lethal than guns," he said.

"Our aim is to keep everybody safe, but of course there will be risks."