Blair 'was told of shoot-to-kill policy'

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was told of a secret shift to a "shoot to kill" policy for suspected suicide bombers three years ago, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens said yesterday.

The policy has come under fierce criticism after the Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by police marksmen hunting the men behind the failed London bombings of 21 July.

Anger that Parliament was never told about the new policy was fuelled yesterday by the disclosure that both Mr Blair and the then Home Secretary David Blunkett were informed of the change in tactics.

The change was made in January 2002 as the terror threat increased after the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Mr Blair has previously said he could not remember whether the issue had crossed his desk.

But asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if Mr Blair and Mr Blunkett had been told, Lord Stevens replied: "In terms of what the operational decisions were, yes indeed."

He added: "Politicians, of course they know and these things are discussed because we have to find the right ways of dealing with them."

Lord Stevens, who oversaw the move to the new tactics, admitted that the Metropolitan Police Authority was not informed of the policy change and that there was no wider discussion or debate.

"Maybe we should have discussed it but I think at the end of the day some things we keep secret about because if people know exactly what we are doing they can take action to stop it," he said.

Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "If politicians were consulted and asked for their views by John Stevens, then that should have come to Parliament."

Downing Street yesterday said it had no record of the Prime Minister being told about the policy change.

A spokesman said: "Our position remains the same. This is an operational matter and this is a matter for the police to decide.

"Ministers can be informed about such operational matters, but are not consulted as such. We have no record of his being informed and he [Tony Blair] cannot recall being informed."

The de Menezes family have demanded that the shoot-to-kill policy is suspended, protesting that it has never been debated in Parliament.

But it has been defended by both Charles Clarke, the current Home Secretary, and Sir Ian Blair, the current Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

- INDEPENDENT