Police Taser video sparks outrage

The tactics used by police in pressure situations came under further scrutiny yesterday following the release of a video showing a group of officers repeatedly shooting a man with an electronic Taser gun before apparently punching him as he lay on the ground.

The video, which was filmed on a mobile phone and posted on YouTube, shows the officers using the Taser – capable of delivering a charge of up to 50,000 volts – at least twice on the 40-year-old man as they try to arrest him.

The incident is thought to have occurred on Sunday night outside Nottingham's Theatre Royal, after nightclub bouncers called for help with dealing with an "aggressive customer".

Nottinghamshire Police have referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission after conceding that the public "may be concerned about it". The incident follows criticism of the tactics used by the Metropolitan Police after the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests, and allegations that officers in Enfield may have used water torture to get information from suspects.

Last night Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, described the footage as "shocking".