Bob Wood: Shooting was a 'necessity'

They immediately called an armed response vehicle team, who arrived at the scene to be threatened by the man.

The armed officers appealed to Mr Dickson, who is thought to have been a university student, to put down his weapon.

One witness said Mr Dickson raised the gun and pointed it at an officer.

He was then shot in the torso, collapsing "like a ton of bricks" on the street.

Derbyshire Deputy Chief Constable Bob Wood said: "They challenged him and he did not respond to that challenge and regrettably it was necessary for the officers to shoot that person, fearing for their own safety and the safety of the person in the house."

'Total shock'

Police tried to resuscitate Mr Dickson until paramedics arrived.

He was taken to Derby Royal Infirmary, where he died just before 0300 GMT.

Neighbours in the quiet village occurred said they were "totally shocked".

Les Goodwin, 71, said of Mr Dickson: "He was as quiet as a mouse. I did not think he had an aggressive bone in his body.

"I would not have believed he was capable of it."

The investigation by West Midlands Police is being supervised by the Police Complaints Authority.

'Little alternative'

The Deputy Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, Peter Neyroud, said that the police have little alternative to using guns themselves in armed incidents.

"If officers are confronted with what they think is a firearm I have not seen anything in the new technologies that means officers are not going to have to use fire arms themselves," he said.

The shooting is only the second time in 25 years that a Derbyshire officer has opened fire at a civilian, said a police spokesman.

Billy Hughes was shot dead by police in January 1977 after he killed a 10-year-old girl, her father and both her grandparents before taking her mother hostage.

He had escaped from prison officers and hidden in Pottery Cottage, near Chesterfield for several days before being discovered by police.