Police fired a Taser gun at a man brandishing a large knife in the street in Gospel Oak this morning.

Officers used the electro shock weapon before arresting the 30-year-old man, who was wielding the blade in Lismore Circus at about 8.30am.

He was then taken to a hospital in central London, although police did not say why medical help was sought.

A Met spokesman said it was not the first time that Taser stun guns have been fired in Camden since they were controversially rolled out across the borough in May.

Camden’s recently appointed borough commander Ch Supt Ben-Julian Harrington has backed the use of the weapons, saying they are a useful tool for keeping the public safe.

But Camden Council’s cabinet member for community safety, Cllr Abdul Hai, is a fierce critic and has warned of the potential to create an “arms race”, with criminals arming themselves in response.