'We can't shoot to wound', says Met Chief in defence of marksmen who killed barrister

The police chief insisted officers were not 'gung-ho' about shooting at members of the public, stressing that the tactic was only used if they themselves were a threat.

Mr Saunders, 32, a legal high-flyer, was shot up to seven times after a five-hour siege just off the plush King's Road in Chelsea, London, last month.

Last resort: Police marksmen take aim outside Mark Saunders' flat but Met Police Chief Sir Ian Blair insists his officers are not gung-ho about shooting

Police took the drastic step after he had fired at passers-by and police out of the window of the £2.2million home he shared with his wife Elizabeth Clarke.

Questions about the extent of force used were raised after it emerged nine marksmen in total had opened fire on Mr Saunders, who suffered five gunshot wounds.

His parents, Rodney and Rosemary, had asked why officers could not have brought the siege at the house in Markham Square on May 6 to a peaceful end.

And a firearms expert claimed police should look at using a new policy in armed stand-offs with snipers allowed to wound a gunman before he was captured.

Today Sir Ian said the idea that you could shoot someone in the arm to disable them was not practical.

He said: 'The idea of being able to shoot to wound is fictional. For a start if you shoot someone in a limb it does not stop them using the other limb to shoot back.

'You are only going to be shooting at somebody who is shooting at you who is posing an immediate threat to you or someone else.'

He also dismissed an idea of pouring some kind of gas into the house which would knock out the gunman.

'This is just not in our armoury,' he said, comparing the plan with the disastrous Russian police operation at the Beslan school siege which ended with the deaths of 331 people.

Mr Saunders (right) was killed by five bullets after the siege last month but Sir Ian claims shooting to wound is not a viable option for police

The Markham Square incident is now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Sir Ian's comments came as it emerged Mr Saunders's devastated family has hired a leading civil rights lawyer to challenge the police version of events.

His wife, Elizabeth Clarke - also a divorce lawyer - has hired the solicitor Jane Deighton to act for the family during the IPCC inquiry into his death.

Ms Deighton has a 'formidable' reputation for winning battles against the police.

She represented Duwayne Brooks, the sole witness to the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, when he complained about his treatment by police.

He was awarded £100,000 compensation.

Heartbreak: Mr Saunders' distraught wife Elizabeth during her husband's five-hour siege at their home in Chelsea, London

Sir Ian said he could not comment in detail on the shooting because of the inquiry.

But he emphasised that it was extremely rare for police firearms officers to fire their weapons.

He said: 'The Met is called to about 10,000 suspected firearms incidents every year and in the 12 months before Markham Square the Met fired three shots.

'This is not a gung-ho operation. We do not shoot very often but if someone is shooting at us or at other people then the chances are that someone is going to fire back.

'We have to make sure that that level of 10,000 incidents and three shots is maintained.

'But what we cannot do is to guarantee that somebody who is posing a immediate threat to life is not going to be shot if they continue to do that.'

The IPCC said it had established there were three separate exchanges of gunfire between Mr Saunders and various police officers surrounding the property he shared with Ms Clarke, 40.

Mr Saunders was fatally injured after the third exchange. Specialist teams stormed the flat and found the barrister wounded.

Attempts were made to revive him but he died at the scene.