Gun death review sparks changes

Jason Fearon was the father of two children

The Metropolitan Police says it has made significant changes to the way it handles information about threats to people's lives.

A review was carried out following the shooting of Jason Fearon after a group of men stormed the Turnmills nightclub in central London in April 2003.

The police had been tipped off that a shooting was being planned, but officers failed to prevent it.

New training, protocols and lines of communication have been introduced.

Mr Fearon, a 26-year-old father-of-two, was shot dead as he attempted to flee the area near the nightclub in a car. It is believed the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.

The review, conducted by Sir Anthony Burden, chief constable of South Wales Police, did not look at the actions of individual officers. This is covered by an inquiry by the Directorate of Professional Standards, supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Tip-off passed on

The Guardian newspaper quoted Sir Anthony as saying the murder could have been prevented "if a proportionate police response had been provided to match the threat level that existed".

Police had been told where and when the shooting would take place and the name of the intended victim, although this was not Mr Fearon.

The information was passed to Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in black communities, but it was decided that a "proactive operation" was not justified. Officers then passed the information on to local police.

Mr Fearon was shot after fleeing a nightclub

A request was made to the nightclub management to close on the relevant night, but this was refused.

Officers opted for a much-used tactic on the night of the shooting, parking an unmanned, marked police vehicle outside the club as a deterrent and posting an armed response vehicle nearby.

Scotland Yard said "significant changes" had been made.

"Lessons have been learnt from the way the MPS handled information received before the shooting," the force said in a statement.

The following recommendations had been implemented:

• A high-ranking officer will be asked for advice when tip-offs about threats to life are received
• A single policy on such tip-offs
• A "tactical menu" of options for officers
• Recording of requests for advice between departments
• New protocol for passing intelligence between departments
• New 24-hr office to offer advice on threats with life
• All senior officers given strategic firearms training