Metropolitan Police officers are asked if they want to be armed both on and off duty in the wake of terror attacks in France and Germany

• More than 30,000 officers in the Met are being asked for their opinions 
• They highlight how Berlin terrorist Anis Amri was shot dead by Italian police 
• The provocative move has already raised concerns among chief officers 
• Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe does not support the initiative 

Every frontline officer in Britain’s largest police force is being asked whether they would be prepared to carry a gun at all times.

More than 30,000 officers at the Metropolitan Police are being polled on their views over being routinely armed both on and off duty.

Rank-and-file representatives say they want to gauge support for making firearms more readily available in the wake of terrorist atrocities in France, Belgium and Germany.

They highlight how the armed Islamic State terrorist responsible for the Berlin Christmas market attack was shot dead by an Italian officer on a routine patrol.

But the provocative move has already raised concerns among chief officers who insist there are no plans to ditch 188 years of unarmed policing.

Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe moved quickly to distance himself from the survey, saying he does not support the routine arming of officers.

‘We are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed,’ a spokesman for the force said.

The short email survey, organised by the Metropolitan Police Federation, the de fact ‘union’ for lower ranking officers, was sent to every officer today.

It asks whether they would be willing to carry a gun both on and off duty, and their views on whether officers should be armed ‘at all times’.

Highlighting the higher fitness standards required for firearms officers, it also asks whether more weapons should be made available, possibly by converting vehicles into mobile armouries.

Officers also face questions over whether they want more access to controversial Taser stun gun weapons, which are already carried by thousands of response officers.

The final question asks whether officers would resign rather than carry a firearm if their use was made compulsory.

Ken Marsh, who leads the London Federation branch, said: ‘We’re not an armed force, we never have been.

‘But the terrorism threat in London is constant and our officers must be vigilant and be able to deal swiftly with any scenarios we face.

‘We are already moving closer towards that by arming 600 more officers and I think it’s only fair that we ask our colleagues – who go out there on a daily basis – what they want.’

Mr Marsh added that there would be no changes to the rigorous training and fitness requirements for officers who carry a gun.