POLICE marksmen from the team that shot dead Jean Charles de Menezes last year killed a suspected armed robber when ambushing four men after a building society raid.

The man, 44, was shot in the chest on Tuesday after an attack on a security van delivering cash to the Nationwide in New Romney, Kent. Police said that the man had a sawn-off shotgun and had fired first.

Undercover officers had been monitoring the four after a tip-off that they were planning a robbery that would net them hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Flying Squad has been investigating raids on security vans in London and the Home Counties.

The men were confronted as they attempted to escape in a Mercedes from a car park behind the building society at 8pm on Hallowe’en. The shot man was taken to William Harvey Hospital, in Ashford, where he died of his injuries.

Scotland Yard said last night that the officers involved included some members of the CO19 specialist firearms team who were involved in the killing of de Menezes, a Brazilian electrician, at Stockwell Tube station in South London, a day after the attempted London bombings on July 21, 2005.

Armed officers also surrounded what was believed to be another getaway car parked in Ham Street village, six miles from New Romney. Residents said that the car’s tyres were punctured before the driver was forced to the ground.

An investigation into the shooting is being held by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). As a matter of routine the officer who fired the fatal shot — one of 451 specialist officers — has been withdrawn from firearms duties.

Two members of the team who killed Mr de Menezes were cleared to return to frontline firearms duty only in late July. They had been suspended from such work for more than a year.

The suspected robber is the the first person to die the shooting of de Menezes “as a result of being hit by (Metropolitan) police bullets”, a spokesman said last night.

There were two fatal shootings in the year to April 2006, one of which involved Mr de Menezes. The other victim was Azelle Rodney, 24, who died on April 30 last year after being shot in Edgware, northwest London.

In the year to April 2004 there was one fatal shooting.

Police fired their guns on just five occasions, with a total of 18 shots, in the year to April 2005, according to the latest Home Office figures.

Three men were arrested as part of the New Romney operation and they were being questioned by detectives from Kent Police last night on suspicion of robbery. Scotland Yard described the operation as “proactive” — designed to “prevent and apprehend” those believed to be involved in an attempted armed robbery.

An IPCC spokeswoman said: “It is understood that officers from the Metropolitan Police Service, including firearms officers from CO19, were attempting to intervene in a criminal act that was under way.” She added: “A firearm was recovered and has been submitted for forensic analysis.”

Michael Fuller, the Chief Constable of Kent, visited the scene of the shooting yesterday morning to reassure residents. He said that people had not been overawed or intimidated by what had taken place and had been carrying on “business as usual. An incident like this is very rare and should be seen in perspective,” he said.

The force refused to give any further details of the operation or to confirm how many shots were fired, but did say that it was not linked to terrorism. It is not clear whether any money was taken.

David Bourne, the chairman of New Romney’s Traders’ Association, said of the small town: “Things like this don’t happen. During the day, the high street is very busy but luckily no other people got injured.”

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