New Zealand police to start armed patrols after Christchurch massacre

Move comes seven months after 51 people were killed at two mosques in the country's worst peacetime shooting

New Zealand officials have said armed police will patrol parts of the country in a trial project following heightened security concerns after the mass shooting in Christchurch in March that killed 51 people.

New Zealand, like the United Kingdom and Norway, is one of the few countries where police do not carry guns while on general duty. However handguns, rifles and Tasers are kept in their vehicles and can be used with a supervisor's permission.