Trainee police officer shot in Nottingham

February 14, 2006

A policewoman in England has been shot while on a "routine" call-out.

The 23-year-old officer was with a male colleague on her way to the scene of an attempted burglary when she was confronted by a male suspect. As soon as trainee officer Rachael Bown challenged him, he pulled a firearm and shot her in the stomach before making off.

Ms Bown is recovering in hospital where her condition is described as "stable". The incident happened just after midnight in Lenton, a district of Nottingham.

Her commanding oficer, Chief Superintendent Marcus Beale told London-based Sky News earlier this morning that emergency surgery "looks to have gone very well and, God willing, she'll be OK."

He added: "She was on a routine call out to a burglary and it's ended up having fairly serious consequences. Thankfully, she's stable. We expect her to be in hospital for several days."

PC Bown was wearing her body armour when she was shot.