Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Atkinson, who played for Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich, has died aged 48 after being Tasered by police. Anton Want/ Getty Images

Former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson has died after being Tasered by police in Telford. West Mercia Police said it was called to a home address in the early hours of Monday morning (15 August). Officers were responding to a call made at 1.30am after concerns were raised about the man's health.

They deployed the 50,000 volt electrical charge and Atkinson, who also played for English sides Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday, died 90 minutes later. He is the 18th man to have played for in the Premier League, which was founded in 1992, and later died.

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In a statement, West Mercia Police said: "West Mercia Police can confirm that officers responded to a report for the concern for the safety of an individual at approximately 1:30am this morning (Monday 15 August) at an address in Telford.

"Upon arrival Taser was deployed and a 48-year-old man, who subsequently received medical attention, was pronounced dead at approximately 3am.

"West Mercia Police are unable to comment any further as the incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) as is normal procedure and will assist the IPCC with their enquiries."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is at the scene gathering information as part of its investigation into the death.

In April, the Home Office released figures showing that the number of times officers discharged Tasers in 2015 was down on the previous year. Incidents decreased 1,921 to 10,329 .

What is a Taser?

Tasers are a hand-held weapon similar in shape and size to a pistol but designed to temporarily incapacitate a suspect. They were introduced by police forces in 2004 and use a 50,000 volt electrical current to disrupt the body's neuromuscular system. The device, which is bright yellow, allows officers to deal with violent or potentially violent people at a distance.