A 17-year-old boy suffered a cardiac arrest after being Tasered by officers trying to detain him, police have said.

Officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Prior Deram Walk, Canley, Coventry, just after 9.30pm.

The teenager was tasered in an effort to detain him, but immediately required CPR as he went into cardiac arrest, West Midlands Police said.

He remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Four other teenagers, three aged 17 and a 13-year-old, were arrested for violent disorder and assaulting a police officer as a result of the incident.

Two male police officers received minor injuries which did not require hospital treatment and a police car windscreen was smashed.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Earlier this year, chief constables called for new recruits to be allowed to carry Tasers due to the rising crime wave.

Officers cannot use the weapons in their first two years of service.

But the National Police Chiefs’ Council yesterday backed proposals for selected probationers to be allowed to have Tasers after completing a rigorous application and training process.

Senior officers believe the option should be available based on local assessments of threat and risk.