The warning came as a 35-year-old man was jailed for five years at the High Court in Edinburgh after being convicted of discharging a taser in a children’s skatepark.

Jamie Garrity, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, was sentenced after being found guilty of discharging a taser disguised as a small torch in June 2020.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutors told the court that Mr Garrity was “showing off” and said he had been witnessed sparking the taser “20 or 30 times”. He was also convicted of making a homophobic remark to a police officer.

Ruth McQuaid, procurator fiscal for the High Court, welcomed the sentence and said it should send out a strong public message over the use of stuns guns disguised as everyday items.

She said: “It’s important that people who shop online for these items realise that, under the law, they are regarded as prohibited firearms. They are dangerous and carry a severe risk of serious injury if discharged in public places.”