Dorset Police will be training more armed officers to ensure the county is fully prepared for any threat of terrorism.

It comes as the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) proposes plans for frontline police officers in rural areas to carry handguns to cope with the threat of terrorism.

Simon Chesterman, Deputy Chief Constable at NPCC, said the proposal was being considered by chief constables in areas of England and Wales where it is prohibitively expensive to have fully-trained specialist units on standby.

He added that areas such as Devon and Cornwall were much more difficult to reach and whilst such areas had a low threat level, the implications of an attack would be greater if the response was slower.

In response to the proposals, Dorset Police confirmed that frontline officers in the county will not be armed, but work is ongoing to ensure the force is prepared for any terrorist threat.

Chief Superintendent Glen Mayhew, commander of the Dorset Police and Devon and Cornwall Police Alliance operations department, said: “We have always been keen to play an active part in this consultation and are working closely with NPCC, and continue to work with DCC Simon Chesterman in relation to this matter.

“We in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset police have used armed officers or ARV (Armed Response Vehicle) crews to help police major events for many years.

“What we are now looking to do is increase our capability in responding to incidents where armed officers may be needed; this includes an uplift in the number of trained armed officers we have in the force and an increase in available ARV units.

“We will also now use these visibly armed officers to undertake foot patrols at key locations such as major shopping centres, on top of major events and key locations across the region, which we are already doing.

“This is not in reaction to any specific threat within Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. This decision is to help offer reassurance to the public, and to offer a highly-visible level of protection to our public.

“This does not mean that we are currently, or are any closer to, a situation where 'bobbies on the beat' are armed in rural locations.

“We are not doing this, and any change in this area would be something that would need to be following an extensive, nationwide public consultation.”

The number of firearms officers ready to protect the public in England and Wales has risen by 1,351 since April 2016.

“Police chiefs are committed to our model of policing with a routinely unarmed service at its core. At the same time, we need to be sure we have the right level of armed policing to meet threats to the public”, says DCC Chesterman.

"The overwhelming majority of England and Wales has very good coverage from armed response vehicles. We are continuing to review and discuss options with some forces with harder to reach rural communities, including arming of some response officers.

"Any change would decided by chief constables based on threat and risk and with wide consultation. Our analysis suggests this is not necessary now but it remains an option on the table.

“Overall, though, forces are now better equipped to respond swiftly to serious threats to public safety, such as the recent terror attacks.

“The increase in the number of highly-trained CTSFOs means that we can move more quickly to resolve major incidents and be more proactive when confronting a threat.

“The public will have seen this improved response in action during the London Bridge terror attack, when ARVs were able to respond incredibly quickly to stop the attackers without having to wait for specialist officers or Special Forces.”