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From online newswire , Lancashire Officer PC David Lomas. Shot and wounded , thoughts and prayers for a full and speedy recovery
Armed police surround home in Lancashire
Helen Carter and Tom Edwards
Tuesday July 5, 2005
The Guardian
A police officer was shot and seriously injured yesterday as he tried to talk to a man, said to be threatened with eviction from his home, about anti-social behaviour.
PC David Lomas, 34, from Bury, near Manchester, was shot in the upper torso. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston hospital where he underwent surgery. PC Lomas, who joined the force four years ago and is a local community beat officer, is in a comfortable condition. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
A second officer managed to escape the incident in Hardman Avenue, Rawtenstall, without being injured.
Armed officers surrounded a maisonette and a half-mile cordon was thrown around the area. It is thought that missiles including makeshift firebombs were hurled out of a window after the shooting at 2pm yesterday.
The man in the dispute was named as Steven Hensby, a single man in his 50s. He is understood to have been unemployed for a long period.
Mr Hensby was described by his neighbours as a loner who liked riding his field bikes and collecting scrap metal from a nearby quarry. He has no other family since the death two-and-a-half years ago of his mother, Emily.
He has been involved in a long-standing eviction dispute with Rossendale council following his mother's death.
A neighbour, Leslie Owen, 40, said: "He's been fighting Rossendale council over the eviction, as the house is in his mother's name."
Mr Hensby's next-door neighbour, Michaela Holt, 34, said she had heard that Mr Hensby had told people he would refuse to leave the property. "He said if he was evicted, he will refuse to go and he would torch it," she said.
Her husband, Adrian, said he had received a phone call from a neighbour saying there was a siege.
Mr Holt described his neighbour as a "bit of a loner, who kept himself to himself". He added: "It is a bit of a surprise, because he was always very polite ... I would say he was a very considerate sort of person."
Another neighbour, June Edge, 59, said: "He was nicknamed 'crusty man'. He used to go out scrawling graffiti all over the place saying things like 'crusty man was here.' I only spoke to him this morning and he said he was going down to the council to sort out his house.
"He came back today and set his shed on fire. Something must have snapped in him because he was quiet really."
A police helicopter hovered overhead all afternoon.
Mr Hensby's immediate neighbours were told to stay indoors. People returning home from work were directed to a nearby school.
Chief Superintendent Jerry Graham of Lancashire police, said negotiators were trying to make contact with a man.
"At 2pm, two officers attended an address in Hardman Avenue," Mr Graham said. "One police officer was shot and was subsequently taken away by air ambulance to the Royal Preston hospital with injuries to his upper torso.
"This is an ongoing incident ... negotiators are attempting to make contact with the man and bring it to a speedy conclusion."
He said police were not sure what type of gun had been used.
Mr Graham said the officers were on a routine inquiry and the level of violence they had encountered was unexpected.
"Although [PC Lomas] has a relatively short career with Lancashire constabulary he is very highly regarded and I have had lots of commendations from the local community
Armed police surround home in Lancashire
Helen Carter and Tom Edwards
Tuesday July 5, 2005
The Guardian
A police officer was shot and seriously injured yesterday as he tried to talk to a man, said to be threatened with eviction from his home, about anti-social behaviour.
PC David Lomas, 34, from Bury, near Manchester, was shot in the upper torso. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston hospital where he underwent surgery. PC Lomas, who joined the force four years ago and is a local community beat officer, is in a comfortable condition. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
A second officer managed to escape the incident in Hardman Avenue, Rawtenstall, without being injured.
Armed officers surrounded a maisonette and a half-mile cordon was thrown around the area. It is thought that missiles including makeshift firebombs were hurled out of a window after the shooting at 2pm yesterday.
The man in the dispute was named as Steven Hensby, a single man in his 50s. He is understood to have been unemployed for a long period.
Mr Hensby was described by his neighbours as a loner who liked riding his field bikes and collecting scrap metal from a nearby quarry. He has no other family since the death two-and-a-half years ago of his mother, Emily.
He has been involved in a long-standing eviction dispute with Rossendale council following his mother's death.
A neighbour, Leslie Owen, 40, said: "He's been fighting Rossendale council over the eviction, as the house is in his mother's name."
Mr Hensby's next-door neighbour, Michaela Holt, 34, said she had heard that Mr Hensby had told people he would refuse to leave the property. "He said if he was evicted, he will refuse to go and he would torch it," she said.
Her husband, Adrian, said he had received a phone call from a neighbour saying there was a siege.
Mr Holt described his neighbour as a "bit of a loner, who kept himself to himself". He added: "It is a bit of a surprise, because he was always very polite ... I would say he was a very considerate sort of person."
Another neighbour, June Edge, 59, said: "He was nicknamed 'crusty man'. He used to go out scrawling graffiti all over the place saying things like 'crusty man was here.' I only spoke to him this morning and he said he was going down to the council to sort out his house.
"He came back today and set his shed on fire. Something must have snapped in him because he was quiet really."
A police helicopter hovered overhead all afternoon.
Mr Hensby's immediate neighbours were told to stay indoors. People returning home from work were directed to a nearby school.
Chief Superintendent Jerry Graham of Lancashire police, said negotiators were trying to make contact with a man.
"At 2pm, two officers attended an address in Hardman Avenue," Mr Graham said. "One police officer was shot and was subsequently taken away by air ambulance to the Royal Preston hospital with injuries to his upper torso.
"This is an ongoing incident ... negotiators are attempting to make contact with the man and bring it to a speedy conclusion."
He said police were not sure what type of gun had been used.
Mr Graham said the officers were on a routine inquiry and the level of violence they had encountered was unexpected.
"Although [PC Lomas] has a relatively short career with Lancashire constabulary he is very highly regarded and I have had lots of commendations from the local community
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