Firearms officers in Kent Police are now limited in what they can say to each other after an incident when a weapon is fired.

Individual officers will not be allowed to confer in future when making notes on a clash involving the use of firearms.

The move is designed to ensure evidence from each officer is not compromised in any way when an inquiry is launched.

Kent Police are following national guidelines being issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers following the judicial review into the killing of the innocent Jean Charles de Menezes.

Mr de Menezes was gunned down at Stockwell tube station in 2005 by Met Police after being suspected of being a suicide bomber.

Chief Constable of Kent Police Mike Fuller announced the changes at a Kent Police Authority meeting.

He said: “Officers will find this restrictive but the important thing is there must be integrity in the evidence given by officers.

"This guidance says they must be able to record their individual recollections when it comes to a firearms incident.

“Any firearms incident – especially when the police shoot somebody and take their life - needs to be justified in a court of law. The public need to feel confident the shooting is subject to proper scrutiny.

“There have been some challenges to this when officers have recorded their evidence together, so doing it on their own will combat that.

“We are keen to comply with national guidance. We want the public to feel confident the police are able to account for their actions properly.

"These national guidelines have been put together to ensure consistency across the country and we want to help make sure that happens.”