Sounds like they have some real qualified officers over there...

Keith Tilbury, a police civilian worker shot by a police officer during a safety demonstration, has recovered a six-figure compensation sum from his employer, Thames Valley Police, in an out-of-court settlement.

In May 2007, Keith Tilbury, a 999 control room operator from Walton on Thames, was attending a lecture given by a police firearms training officer who was demonstrating a Dan Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver as part of a talk on the weapons police officers can come up against.  He had taken ammunition from a sweet tin, believing it to be an inert round.  He pointed the revolver at Mr Tilbury and pulled the trigger.  In fact, the ammunition was live and Mr Tilbury suffered life-threatening bullet wounds. He has not yet been able to return to work.

In September last year, Thames Valley Police pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £40,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £25,000. PC David Micklethwaite, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £8,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

The HSE investigation found that a risk assessment had been prepared to cover the use of firearms. This included a section on dealing with a situation where live and non-live ammunition were mixed. This assessment was also based on the weapons and ammunition being under the control of a competent person. The HSE found that, had the control measures detailed in the assessment been followed, then the accident would not have happened.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said:

"Thames Valley Police can confirm that Keith Tilbury has accepted a compensation offer for injuries caused when he was accidentally shot in a classroom training exercise in 2007, an incident that the Force has always accepted should never have happened. 

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