HEADLINES:

A man was shot dead by police in the grounds of a Surrey cathedral yesterday after pointing a gun at armed officers.

The man had refused several shouted orders to put the weapon down before he was killed by police marksmen in Guildford, Surrey.

It is not known whether more than one shot was fired before the man, who was seen pointing the weapon towards officers, slumped to the ground.

Police were called by a member of the public who saw the man wandering close to Guildford Cathedral with a gun in his hand. A police helicopter tracked his movements until armed officers arrived.

The area was then sealed off as repeated attempts were made to disarm the man, but about an hour later, at 3pm, he was shot dead.

It is thought to be the first time someone has been shot dead by police in Surrey, England's safest county.

The death came almost seven months after 32-year-old barrister Mark Saunders was shot dead by police at his Chelsea flat. Mr Saunders was shot 11 times by seven marksmen after a long stand-off.

People living in homes nearby said there had been a large police presence in the area since the incident.

The Surrey man was due to be named today by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the body that routinely investigates shootings by police.

Last night a 21-year-old woman claimed he was an unemployed 26-year-old drug dealer who had a fascination with knives and guns.

She said the man was well known by people in Guildford and that he had recently attacked clubbers at a night spot in the town.

Police refused to discuss the man's identity, or any details of the case.

Investigators from the IPCC, which is also probing the death of Mr Saunders, arrived at the cathedral last night and began taking statements from the marksmen involved in the operation.