The Bishop of Lichfield has spoken of his prayers for the West Midlands police constable who was shot in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.

The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill said he hoped that shock the shock over the shooting would persuade people who keep weapons to give them up.

He said: "Everyone in Wolverhampton will be praying for the wounded officer and for his family. This was a terrible and cowardly act of violence.

|QUOTE|"I hope all of us will also be thanking and encouraging his colleagues and all the police for their bravery. We depend on them for their hard and sometimes dangerous work.

"It is a terrible thing when the rule of law breaks down. If we cannot persuade people to give up arguing with guns and knives no one is safe to walk the streets. Thanks to the police we are free in this country.

"Let us pray that the officer will make a full recovery, that his attackers will be brought to justice, and that those who keep weapons will be shocked into giving them up."