THE phrase “wake-up call” might be overused, but it’s aptly used by Dorset Police Federation chairman Clive Chamberlain in today's story.

He says the attempted murder of PC Craig Bartlett reminds officers that “our job is a dangerous one and you never know what is round the corner”.

People overseas sometimes find it hard to believe that British police are not routinely armed. They wonder how you can expect an officer to venture into trouble without a firearm. Surveys show most officers would not want to carry guns despite the risk of running into somone like Michael Edward, who stabbed PC Bartlett with a 16cm knife.

It’s only a matter of luck that Edwards faced a charge of attempted murder, not murder.

And if we want to continue living in a society where police don’t all have guns at their sides, we need to make sure offenders like this continue to suffer the harshest possible penalties.