Eighteen people were hit by police bullets in the first six months of this year, one of whom died, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

The figures come from the public prosecution department and are high compared with previous years, the Volkskrant said.

While police are not using their guns more than they were, firearms are more likely to be used during an arrest than they used to be, police researcher Jaap Timmer told the paper.

In the 1980s and 1990s, police were more likely to draw their guns when they came under attack, Timmer said.

Three officers are facing charges for using their guns in 2013, compared with an average of one a year.