Police in San Francisco will be allowed to kill suspects using remote controlled robots, in a landmark ruling which campaign groups say sets a dangerous precedent.

The Golden Gate city will become the first in America to legally authorise the use of robots to administer deadly force after an emotionally charged debate and vote by city supervisors.

The San Francisco Police Department said it does not have pre-armed robots and has no plans to arm robots with guns, but could deploy remote controlled machines equipped with explosive charges “to contact, incapacitate, or disorient violent, armed, or dangerous suspect” when lives are at stake, according to spokesperson Allison Maxie.

“Robots equipped in this manner would only be used in extreme circumstances to save or prevent further loss of innocent lives,” she said.

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The first time a robot was used to deliver explosives in the US was in Texas, in 2016, when Dallas police sent in an armed robot that killed a holed-up sniper who had killed five officers in an ambush.

Read more: The Telegraph