Man killed after claiming he was armed

A man has been shot dead by police after claiming he had a firearm.

Armed officers attended the scene in Collier Row in Romford, east London, in the early hours of Monday.

Scotland Yard said it was called at 3:50am by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm.

At around 4:45am a man believed to be in his 40s was shot by police near Collier Row Road and Lodge Lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene about half an hour later.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “At approximately 0350hrs on Monday, 9 April, police were called by a man making threats and claiming he was in possession of a firearm at an address in Collier Row.

“Firearms officers attended the location and were informed the man had left the address, armed with a firearm.”

A witness told local paper the Romford Recorder: “It’s just really crazy. I just heard gunshots but I didn’t see anything. I heard bang bang and thought that sounded like gunshots.”

The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.