Armed police call-outs fall

THE number of incidents dealt with by the police’s armed response unit fell last year, new figures have shown.

The unit, which responds to incidents suspected to involve firearms across Lothian and Borders, was called into action 57 times during 2011 – compared with 63 during the previous year, a fall of 10 per cent.

Last year’s figure also shows a significant drop compared to call-outs for 2007 and 2008, when 73 and 91 incidents were handled respectively.

From the start of this year until the end of August, 38 call-outs were recorded.

A police spokesman said: “The force will deploy the appropriate response to ensure the safety of the public. Armed response officers are highly trained, and will use appropriate and proportionate means to resolve firearms incidents.”