Man shot by Taser during incident

A 20-year-old man has been shot with a Taser by police after a disturbance in West Lothian.

Lothian and Borders Police said the stun gun was used after the man became violent in a property in Broxburn, at about 1300 BST on Saturday.

The man was taken to St John's Hospital where he was assessed before being released.

He was charged in connection with the disturbance and is due to appear in court on Monday.

A police spokesman said: "The use of Tasers is only undertaken in circumstances where a suspect presents a clear risk to the public, the officers in attendance or even themselves.

"Before a Taser is discharged a suspect will be given clear warning to cease their actions and surrender.

"As is standard practice, we will review the use of Tasers during this incident to ensure all necessary protocols were followed."

Tasers have been at the centre of a recent political row since Strathclyde Police announced it was to issue 30 beat officers with the weapons in South Lanarkshire as part of a pilot scheme.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has claimed the pilot scheme breaks international law and has written to the Scottish government requesting an immediate end to the trial.