A SUSPECTED robber shot dead by police during a raid on a building society in Kent has been named.

He was 41-year-old Robert Haines who lived in the village of Challock, near Ashford. He died in Ashford's William Harvey Hospital on Tuesday night.

He was killed by the firearms officer who shot dead innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, at Stockwell tube station in July 2005. Mr de Menezes was mistaken for a suspected suicide bomber.

Specialist firearms officers from the Metropolitan Police's CO19 unit opened fire during the operation in New Romney, near Hythe, on Tuesday night to stop a suspected armed robbery at the Nationwide building society.

They were taking part in a pre-planned operation with the Flying Squad. A firearm was later recovered from the scene.

A Met Police statement said: “The Met has a small cadre of specialist highly trained firearms officers who last year were deployed to 2,529 incidents and were involved in 938 pre-planned operations.

“They perform an extremely difficult but vital function responding to armed threats against the public and their unarmed colleagues and it is extremely rare for officers to fire their guns.

“As is proper the IPCC is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting. Their inquiries are ongoing but they have confirmed that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

“It is deeply regrettable when anyone dies as a result of police action.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is continuing its investigation in to Tuesday night's incident.