Controls over the use of Tasers by the police will not be tightened despite a coroner’s concerns after the death of a Falmouth man.

Geraint Williams, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, wrote to both the Home Secretary and the College of Policing following an inquest in January into the death of 30-year-old Marc Cole.

The inquest in Truro heard that Mr Cole died after being Tasered three times during an incident in Langton Road, Falmouth, on May 23, 2017.

Officers who were called to the scene found him pacing the street barefoot, carrying a kitchen knife and self-harming.

PC Timothy Wilson told him to drop the knife and when he refused the officer Tasered him three times in 42 seconds. He went into cardiac arrest and effectively died at the scene although he was taken to hospital.

Read more: Inquest verdict - Taser had 'more than trivial impact' on Falmouth man

A jury found his death was caused by “excess use of cocaine resulting in paranoid and erratic behaviour, with the use of a Taser having more than a trivial impact”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which investigated the case concluded that the performance of the officers involved did not fall below the standard expected.

However, in a Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, the coroner wrote: “In evidence it was clear that there is no understanding about the potential for incremental risk with multiple Taser activations and no training provided as to the maximum number of activations, nor of their duration which is appropriate or safe.”

He said there was clearly a risk involved, adding: “There is insufficient independent data as to the lethality of Taser use and that therefore the advice and training provided to police officers may be deficient or incomplete.”

In response, Mike Cunningham, chief executive of the College of Policing, said Taser training was under regular review and that Mr Cole’s case would be examined to see if any lessons could be learned, but he stressed that the risks involved in multiple activations were matters for the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) and AXON, which advises on public safety.

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“Had SACMILL, AXON and the College been called to give evidence at the Coroner’s court, information could have been provided that would have been highly likely to be useful to you and the jury in your considerations,” he said.

Kit Malthouse, the Minister for crime and policing, told the coroner they would continue to work with the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council to reduce the risks associated with the use of less lethal weapons such as Tasers.

But he added: “We have carefully reviewed the processes and safeguards in place for the police use of Tasers, including the independent evaluations of the medical implications of Tasers, carried out by SACMILL, the guidance available, the high standards of training and the ongoing scrutiny of the Taser use.

“I am satisfied that they are adequate and help ensure that any use of force by the police is proportionate, necessary and as safe as possible.”