Gunman dead

PC David Lomas, 34, was seriously injured when officers went to the home of loner Steven Hensby in Hardman Avenue, Rawtenstall, after a row over anti-social behaviour.

The incident at 2pm yesterday sparked an overnight stand-off as neighbours heard further shots and saw firebombs thrown from the house.

Officers forced their way in at 6.30am today, shouting: "Police. Make yourself known."

By 7am they had found the body of a man in an upstairs bedroom next to the body of a rottweiler dog.

Chief Superintendent Jerry Graham said: "Following an extensive overnight police operation, firearms officers entered premises in Hardman Avenue. No other people were in the house when officers entered and no further shots were fired."

Today neighbour Graham Stonier, 40, relived the horrific moment when the siege began. He said: "Suddenly I heard boom boom boom boom boom and heard an officer shout 'man down, man down'."

The incident has revived the debate over whether police officers should be armed at all times.

PC David Lomas, a community beat manager for Haslingden, was dragged clear of the house and airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital where his condition was today described as comfortable and not life-threatening.

Pupils were kept in at nearby Balladen County Primary School as police cordoned off the area and armed officers surrounded the house overnight.

Neighbours said Hensby, who was known by his nicknames of Crustyman or Crusty and had a rottweiler dog called Sam, had been threatened with eviction after the death of his mother a couple of years ago.

David Connor, 50, who lives on a farm holding opposite the scene, said: "Two officers forced entry to the door and the next thing I heard shots. Immediately the two officers left the house and one collapsed outside.

"After that a shot came from the upstairs window and through the hole it made, two more shots were fired."

John Jackson, 17, unemployed, was walking past at the time of the shooting. He said: "I saw the police arrive. They were speaking to him through the top window and then I saw the door getting kicked down and then coppers ran in and there were gunshots.

"I saw policemen run out and cop cars getting shot at. One policeman ran back in with a first aid kit and I did not see him come back out.

"I heard more shots. There were seven in all. After the shots were fired he was throwing firebombs out of the house."

One passer-by, who asked not to be named, saw the injured officer stretchered to the air ambulance. "I could not tell how he looked as he was too far away," he said. "They took him on to the cricket field and away by air ambulance."

Samantha Kay, who lives opposite the house, said it was mayhem. "I heard lots of activity outside and two police vans pulled up. A policeman was carried out by two others with blood dripping all over him.

There were policemen with shields and guns aiming at the house, helicopters everywhere and dogs outside.

"I went to tell them there was a school down the road that was due to finish any time and they shouted at me to get in the house."

Mr Graham added: "I can confirm the reason the two officers were sent to the house at 2pm was following a report of previous anti-social behaviour at the address. The violence they were met with is obviously over and above what they could have expected."

A Lancashire Ambulance Service spokesman said crews received a call from the police at 2.14pm and were allowed access to the scene at about 2.50pm. He added: "The police take control of incidents and have to make the scene safe even for themselves. We only go in to give treatment when they say we can."

PC Lomas joined Lancashire Police on August 28, 2001, and carried out his training in Burnley.

The following April, the unmarried 34-year-old, from Bury, became a bobby in the valley before being made a community beat manager.

Mr Graham said: "PC Lomas is a professional officer who is young in service and has many letters of gratitude from members of the public for his work in the local community."

NEIGHBOURS said the man living at the siege house was a loner called Steven Hensby, who was unemployed and lived on his own with his pet rottweiler.

His appearance was likened to a farmer, with residents saying he usually wore a flat cap and carried a walking stick over his shoulder.

He often walked his dog in nearby fields. Residents said he often sprayed his nickname of "Crusty" or "Crustyman" as graffiti.

Neighbour Graham Stonier: "He was a loner, his mum died a bit ago and he was the only person at the funeral.

"He kept himself to himself and did not even say hello. Normally it is a friendly, close knit community and everybody talks to each other.

"He had not worked for a long time and he repaired old motorbikes at the back of his house.

"He also had a rottweiler that he walked on the hills."

Nathan Riley, 18, of Gordon Street, said: "He was a bit of a loner. He was known locally as Crustyman. He liked to go to the rifle ranges and go shooting rabbits and foxes."

Another neighbour Vicki Tattersall, of Hardman Avenue, said: "He kept himself to himself. He was known to go by the back of his house foxing and rabbiting. I think he was a bit of a loner. It is a shock."

Michaela Holt, 34, of Hardman Avenue, lived next door to Hensby for three-and-a-half years and gave police a floor plan of his two bedroom semi-detached ex-council house. Mrs Holt had not been allowed back into her house and was worried about her greyhounds Looby and Bok, which were at home.

She said: "I wouldn't say he was a weirdo but he was definitely a loner and a bit eccentric.

"He would say hello to you though and was very polite.

"I went round a few months ago to apologise for the noise when we were having work done at our house.

Joanne Turner, 22, of Fallbarn Crescent, a housewife, said: "He was always a bit weird. It's scary.

"You don't expect something like that to happen here.

"You expect to see a bit of fighting or arguing but not a shooting."

Marcia Catlin, 64, of Carr Lane, said: "He was a bit of a loner evidently and lived with his dog."

Alex Fishwick, 29, a steel erector of Dearden Nook, was asleep when the drama happened.

He said: "I was just dropping off and heard two to three shots. I thought it was someone messing about in the backyard.

I dropped off back to sleep and when I woke at about 4pm there were police swarming everywhere.

"I saw marksmen around. I wondered what the hell was going on."I had to leave to pick my son up from school."

Justin Doody, of Hawks Grove, had celebrations for his twins' Lewis and Olivia's first birthday ruined by the siege.