Gun police are more scared of ending up in jail than taking on violent criminals, says police chief

GUN constabulary are much frightened of ending up successful jailhouse than taking connected convulsive criminals, a constabulary main has claimed.

Chief Constable Simon Chesterman warned that forces would conflict to enlist volunteers to transportation guns aft Sgt Martyn Blake was prosecuted for shooting Chris Kaba.

Mr Chesterman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council caput of equipped policing, said: “They’re much acrophobic of going to prison for doing their jobs, than facing the convulsive and unsafe individuals we trust connected them to support america from.”

“Good police officers request to cognize that if they bash what they are trained to do, they volition beryllium supported by the leaders of the constabulary service, Government and, astir importantly, the public.”

The fig of equipped constabulary officers successful England and Wales has fallen since 2019 to conscionable 5,800.

Gang subordinate Kaba, 24, was changeable dead aft trying to ram constabulary successful a car successful 2022.

Sgt Blake was cleared of his execution but is successful hiding aft pack leaders enactment a £10,000 bounty connected his head.

Last week Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged equipped officers who are prosecuted for execution would beryllium fixed anonymity until conviction.

But Brian Booth, from The Police Federation union, said: “The ramifications spell acold wider than the bound of the Met Police.

"Officers successful the different 42 forces successful England and Wales are rightly asking what extortion they person erstwhile doing a dangerous, analyzable and demanding job.”