Police deny licensing link to fatal stand-off

Police cordoned off the area in response to reports of a disabled man making threats with a firearm.

By Will Finch

Tuesday, 07 February 2012

Lincolnshire Police dismisses claims that disabled man who later shot himself was due to have his weapons removed.

Police have denied claims that a 61-year-old disabled man who shot at police before turning his gun on himself was refusing to surrender his weapons following a review of his shotgun licence.

Barry Horspool, whose body was found after a 12-hour stand-off with armed police in the Lincolnshire village of Sutton St James, was described by neighbours as a former farm labourer who enjoyed shooting game and pigeon.

However, a Lincolnshire Police spokesman told Shooting Times that police officers were not at Mr Horspool’s address to seize his guns and that they were called to the house “after reports of a man making threats with a firearm.”

She said: “There were plenty of things that were said on the day about us being there to remove his weapons because of licensing issues, but there is no foundation in that at all. We don’t know where that particular piece of speculation came from.”

Local residents were told to remain in their homes during the siege, which also involved officers from the Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire forces, and East Midlands air support.

One policeman sustained minor facial injuries.

It is thought he was injured by broken glass after Mr Horspool shot out the window of a police car.

Lincolnshire Police announced that it had referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for investigation.

However, the IPCC later said that the case would be handed back to the force to investigate locally.