Strathclyde Police are considering issuing controversial taser stun guns to its officers on the beat after thousands of them were assaulted while on duty.

The force said that an average of 4,000 officers have been assaulted each year during the last four years and the numbers of assaults were on the increase.

Details of potential pilot schemes, including the use of the weapons, which deliver a 50,000-volt electric shock to immobilise suspected offenders, will be presented next month to the Police Authority.

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said: "Work has been undertaken with regard to the possibility of extending the use of tasers. A paper containing the details of this will be presented to the Police Authority early next month.

"The number of assaults on police officers has increased and this results in injured officers having to take time off from frontline duties.

"Over the last four years an average of 4,000 officers have been assaulted each year and this is unacceptable. Strathclyde Police has a duty to protect both its officers and the public and regards the use of tasers as one of a variety of effective means of doing this," the spokeswoman added.

Currently only trained firearms officers use the taser stun guns. The move has been criticised by Amnesty International.

The human rights group has claimed the weapon has been responsible for the deaths of more than 300 people in America.

Oliver Sprague of Amnesty International said: "Of course the police have a duty to protect themselves and the community at large from violent situations, but arming more officers with dangerous weapons without the rigorous training and necessary safeguards could well be a recipe for disaster.

"Widespread and routine deployments can lead to tasers being misused, as we have seen in the US, which has on some occasions led to death. We don't want to repeat this in UK policing."