Man shot by Met Police after threats to kill

Officers were called to an address in Stow Crescent to reports of a man with a firearm making threats to kill

A man is in a life-threatening condition after being shot by Metropolitan Police officers who entered a property in north-east London by force.

The force said officers had been called to an address in Stow Crescent, Walthamstow, at about 10:00 BST to reports of a man with a firearm making threats to kill.

Trained negotiators were called to the scene, and at about 14:00 officers entered the property and discharged their weapons. They had found what they believed to be a gun inside the property, the Met said.

The force added the incident was being referred to the Department of Professional Standards, which would refer it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The man had initially been treated at the scene by police medics and the London Ambulance Service, the Met said.

People have been asked to stay away from the area, where a police cordon remains in place.

A spokesperson for the IOPC said: "We can confirm that we have started an independent investigation into the actions of the Met Police during an incident at an address in Walthamstow, east London where we understand a man was shot by police this afternoon and taken to hospital."

They said they had sent investigators to the scene and begun the post-incident procedure for gathering evidence.