That was very sad. Are UK constables still unarmed?

Here's one from The Land of the World's Stupidest Criminals:

Police arrested a man and charged him with kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, unlawful imprisonment and other felonies. Seems he offered a girl a ride home. Once she was in his car, he drove onto a forest road and attempted to rape her. She got away. But the sap couldn't find his way out of the forest...so he called 911 to report that he and his "girlfriend" were lost--please come and get us!