Armed police are afraid of the legal fallout of using their weapons, even when they follow their training, the head of the force has said.

In an open letter published on Sunday afternoon, Mark Rowley said police need “sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favour”.

It comes as the Ministry of Defence placed the army on standby to support the force after dozens of officers handed in their weapons after a fellow marksman was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba.

Sir Mark has now called for a reform of the law to change the threshold by which they can be held criminally responsible for using firearms.

Progress, he said, to deliver change in the Met was “undermined by a system not set up to help officers succeed”.

The force responds to around 4,000 armed incidents every year, with officers discharging firearms on “less than two occasions”, it said.

Mr Rowley said: “There is a concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family.

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“While previous reviews have been announced, they have not delivered change.

“Carrying a firearm is voluntary. We rely on officers who are willing to put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect the public from dangerous criminals including terrorists.”

Mr Rowley added: “I make no comment on any ongoing matters that are sub judice but the issues raised in this letter go back further.”

Officer appears in court

A Metropolitan Police officer, named only as appeared in court on Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba, 24, in south London last year.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has since launched a review “to ensure [officers] have the confidence to do their jobs”.

She said officers “mustn’t fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties”.

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