WORCESTERSHIRE'S police and crime commissioner has vowed to hold West Mercia to account 'robustly' following the death of Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson after he was Tasered by police.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion also says we must wait for the full facts before drawing conclusions about what happened.

Two police officers are now under investigation following the death of the former professional footballer who died after he was shot with a Taser.

The West Mercia officers have now been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Mr Atkinson died shortly after being shot with a Taser following a dispute in Meadow Close, Trench, in Telford on Monday.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said:

“These latest developments from the IPCC investigation and the subsequent response from the force represent an appropriate and necessary part of what is a thorough, independent process to establish the full facts of this incident. That process is still ongoing and it is imperative that we await its full findings before drawing any conclusions.”

“I have continually monitored developments in this case and will continue to do so on behalf of our local communities. I would reassure them that this process is moving forward and is being carried out in a truly independent way.

“I would reiterate my previous commitment to hold the force to account on behalf of our communities. I will do that robustly and proportionately when we have all the facts and findings from this case.

“My thoughts and prayers remain with Mr Atkinson’s family at this difficult time.”

Mr Atkinson went into cardiac arrest on his way to hospital and was pronounced dead at 3am on Monday, August 15.

Mr Atkinson's family welcomed the announcement and expressed its desire for a "robust" investigation.

In a statement released through charity INQUEST, it said: "We are still in shock as to the circumstances in which Dalian died.

"We are determined to get justice for him, which means getting to the truth."

Mr Atkinson's brother Kenroy, 53, previously said the former footballer had undergone dialysis for kidney failure and was "in a manic state and depressed" at the time of the incident.

Mr Atkinson was a top-flight striker in the 1990s, starting his career at Ipswich Town then playing for Sheffield Wednesday and Spanish side Real Sociedad before moving to Villa.

He scored 23 goals in 85 appearances for the Birmingham side between 1991 and 1995 before going on to play less successfully for teams including Turkish side Fenerbahce and Manchester City. He ended his playing career in South Korea in 2001.

Police use of Tasers, which are intended as a non-lethal weapon, went up slightly last year with 10,329 uses by forces in England and Wales, a 2 per cent rise on the previous year.

However, of those, 19 per cent (1,921) were discharges - a decrease of 3 per cent from the previous year.