Police used stun guns on Moat

Police involved in a stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat are understood to have used two Taser stun guns, the police watchdog has said.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesman said that two Tasers were discharged by officers during the tense siege between police and the former nightclub doorman.

Moat, 37, shot himself in the head after being surrounded by armed police in the early hours of Saturday morning. It followed a tense six-hour stand-off sparked when he was spotted on the riverbank in Rothbury, Northumbria.

According to an eyewitness the stand-off ended when police surrounded Moat and jumped on him.

Mr Long said: "Early indications show that gunshots were not fired by police officers and this will of course form part of the IPCC independent investigation. It is also understood that a police officer discharged a Taser and our investigation will also look at this.

"The IPCC has now two independent investigations. The first relates to the intelligence from the prison authorities on Mr Moat's release and the second his death. I have decided that there will be one investigation covering both these aspects.

"We will be examining whether correct procedures were followed by Northumbria Police and the detail of how this incident came to a conclusion.

"A full investigation will now be carried out and we will publish our findings in due course so that there is a public account answering the many questions that people will have."

Mr Long, who also sent his sympathies to the people affected by the events of the last week, said that the IPCC launched their investigations after they were contacted by Northumbria Police.