THE debate over the use of Tasers by police in England and Wales is set to continue as an inquest is to be opened into the death of ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson.

The 48-year-old former sportsman died 90 minutes after a West Mercia Police officer Tasered him in the street where he grew up in Telford, Shropshire, in the early hours of August 15.

The coroner for Shropshire is due to open the inquest at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury later today.

The retired striker's death is currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which said it would carry out "a full and thorough" inquiry.

Two police officers with the West Mercia force have been suspended pending a criminal investigation into Mr Atkinson's death.

Last Thursday, the IPCC announced the officers were "under criminal investigation" and that they had been served with gross misconduct notices. The watchdog said it will look into the level and type of force used during the incident.

Since January, Tasers have been used 59 times in Cumbria but only fired 10 times.

Cumbria Constabulary say the number of officers trained to carry the weapons is at its highest since 2004, there were 40 fewer overall uses in 2015, down 30 per cent from 130 to 90, and a reduction in actual discharges of 48 per cent from 23 to 12.

In August 2011 27-year-old Barrow bodybuilder Dale Burns was Tasered four times by officers in less than a minute as they struggled to arrest him.

A coroner found that the death of the dad-of-one, who had been Tasered and pepper-sprayed by officers from Cumbria police about a week earlier, was caused by the use of the drug Madcat, rather than police action.

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