Frontline police officers in Norfolk increased use of force tactics such as physical restraint, pepper spray and tasers during the first year of Covid, figures reveal.

There were 10,414 recorded incidents in which a police officer used force in the year up to March 2021 - a 21pc rise on the previous 12 months.

Home Office data shows that the number of separate incidents where force tactics were deployed also rose by 13 pc to 6,202.

Use of tasers also rose by almost a third to 781 incidents, although the electric shock weapons were only fired on 68 occasions.

Police said an increase in assaults towards officers and emergency services staff and improvements in recording methods were behind the rises.

Officers have been attacked more than 600 times during the pandemic with offences also involving people spitting.

They have also been on the frontline of policing Covid restrictions, protests and breaking up illegal gatherings such as a large rave in Thetford Forest.

A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman said: “Norfolk officers have hundreds of interactions with the public across the country every week and force is rarely used in the vast majority of those.

“When it is necessary to use force – for example, when someone poses an immediate danger to others or themselves - it is used proportionately and lawfully.

“Most commonly, officers only use force to protect themselves or others from attack, which has been an increasing concern for chiefs in the last year as assaults against officers have increased.”

Use of force incidents can include multiple tactics and involve multiple officers, each reporting their use of force.

Restraint tactics such as handcuffing were the most common type of force used, with 4,578 incidents, or 44pc of the total. Ground restraint tactics were used 631 times and limb and body restraints on 450 occasions.

Spit and bite guards were used 119 times.

Unarmed skills, which includes distraction strikes with hands and feet and pressure point and joint locks, were the second most common tactic type, reported 1,400 times.

Officers used their baton on 16 occasions, while irritant spray was drawn 413 times and used on 238 occasions.

Meanwhile, police dogs bit a suspect on two occasions.

A Home Office spokeswoman said it was only the second year the figures had been available and change in the number of incidents is “likely a consequence of improved recording methods and should not be seen as a worrying increase in the use of force”.

Norfolk Police said the data provided “a very clear and transparent overview of how recording of use of force breaks down”.

“Nationally, senior officers are committed to improving recording methods, which is reflected in the overall figures rising in recent years,” a spokesman added.

“In providing the best possible service to the public, we will use the data to shape future decisions about training and equipment.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said rises should be seen in the context of the “millions of incidents police officers deal with a year, which clearly shows we are still a service which polices by consent”.

Analysis: Simon Parkin, Crime Correspondent

At first glance these figures look startling given the substantial increases in recorded incidents of officers using force.

But it is highly likely that this is due to the standardisation of recording rather than a spike in the actual number of incidents.

The Home Office report acknowledges the data still does not provide an accurate representation due to ‘discrepancies and constraints’ in recording.

They anticipate the figures will continue to rise over the coming years as a result.

However policing is done by consent so how and why force is used needs to be carefully monitored if officers are to maintain the trust of the communities they serve.

It’s also worth noting that while Covid has brought many additional challenges for police, many potential other flashpoints were reduced, such as pubs and clubs being closed for periods and matches at Carrow Road taking place without fans.