City police officer hailed for disarming stand-off gunman

Now the father of Pc Norman Black is calling for his son to receive a bravery award to recognise his quick thinking.

Pc Black and his colleague Pc Fiona Rawes were praised by a judge for their "quite distinguished bravery" following the incident in a children's playground in Cumbria.

Pc Black's father Jim Black, who lives in Clermiston, said he was incredibly proud of his son's actions.

The incident took place in Houghton, near Carlisle, where Pc Black, who was born and bred in Edinburgh, now lives.

The officers were called out by former soldier John Spencer, 26, who claimed he heard noises coming from the back of his house, which he thought were shots.

When the officers arrived, they found him in a playground near his home with a gun, which they took to be real, tucked into the waistband of his trousers.

He did not recognise them as police, and started threatening them with the gun, ignoring their requests to put it down.

It was only after they shone a "blinding light" from the top of their police car in his face and used a stun gun on him that they were able to overpower him.

It was then that they discovered that the weapon in his hand was actually an unloaded gas-powered ball bearing gun he used for paintballing.

When sentencing Spencer at Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Paul Batty QC said the officers should be given formal commendations by the chief constable.

He added that Spencer would almost certainly have been shot dead if the officers had been armed.

Pc Black's father, 73, agrees with the judge's comments.

He said: "I hope he gets the commendation that the judge thinks he should get.

"I'm very proud of him, all the family are."

Pc Black, 43, who is a former Royal High School pupil, left Edinburgh to join the RAF, where he spent time in Cyprus and Italy and entered the RAF police.

He moved to Cumbria when he was stationed at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria and has remained there ever since, joining Cumbria Constabulary around seven years ago.

Despite his son's brushes with danger, Mr Black, a retired finance worker, said he did not need to worry about him.

He added: "When he comes back up to Edinburgh he tells me all his stories but I know he is careful and I know he won't do anything stupid."