Police tactics are under review following the suicide of a man who threatened to shoot his wife and child.

The force had no plan prepared to deal with the drunken gunman, an inquest heard yesterday.

He shot himself in the head in front of a motorcycle cop with no special training for such a crisis.

A special Police emergency team could not be contacted, the hearing was told.

Cycle squad officer P.c. Brian Robinson was the only witness on August 27 last year when his friend Mr. Richard Hebberd, the son of a former Police inspector, shot himself.

He told the inquest of an hour-long ordeal at Mr. Hebberd's home, which ended when his friend sat on a bar stool and held a revolver an inch from his head.

"Richard slowly and deliberately put the gun barrel to the right side of his forehead, near his temple.

"He said: `F... it' and then he pulled the trigger and the gun discharged. He was leaning forward over the bar and as he shot his head just dropped onto the surface.'' After being told of Mr. Hebberd's threats, Police had checked his wife Susie was at work at the Bank of Butterfield and their daughter was with a babysitter.

Mr. Hebberd, 38, was a metalworker who enjoyed boats and collected cartridges and antique rifles, the inquest heard.

P.c. Robinson was sent to the Hebberds' Cavendish Heights home with P.c.

Michael Harvey and another cycle officer, but entered the house alone.

He found his friend lying drunk on a bed, wearing only pink shorts. Mr.

Hebberd asked him to have a drink in his den downstairs. They went down and P.c. Robinson poured him a scotch and water from behind a bar.

His friend referred to Mrs. Hebberd as a "bitch'', but P.c. Robinson said this was normal when he was drunk.

Mr. Hebberd produced a gun, which he said he bought on Court Street, and fired it into a child's plastic chair. This alerted P.c. Harvey outside. The third officer had by now gone back on patrol.

P.c. Robinson shouted to P.c. Harvey that Mr. Hebberd had let off fireworks.

P.c. Harvey briefly went inside, where he heard Mr. Hebberd singing "Red, Red Wine'' and talking "nonsense''.

After P.c. Harvey had gone, Mr. Hebberd told P.c. Robinson he was going to kill himself.

He said he had changed his insurance to his sister's name, and changed his will "for child support''.

After calling Police HQ, P.c. Robinson noticed officers outside and saw Det.

Ch. Insp. Richmond in a doorway.

The CID chief said: "Richard, calm down,'' but Mr. Hebberd ordered him to get out, along with other detectives who had arrived on the scene.

Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond radioed for bullet-proof vests and the force's emergency response team, specially trained to deal with firearm incidents.

Mr. Hebberd then fired a shot past officers outside. But this, the inquest heard, made at least two officers believe he had a cap gun.

They then heard another shot. Mr. Hebberd was found unconscious with blood trickling from a half-inch head wound. He died during a operation soon afterwards.

In the house Police found hundreds of rounds of live ammunition for Hebberd's illegally-held revolver.

P.c. Robinson told the inquest: "I cannot offer any explanation myself as to why Richard would have taken his own life.'' He said he had no special training in disarming people or dealing with victims of severe emotional distress.

He did not attempt to disarm his friend, he said. "I did ask him to give it to me but Richard, when he was under the influence of drink, was a very stubborn, arrogant person.

"I took the opinion that if I persisted with that, something else could have happened.'' Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond told the hearing: "Obviously, in hindsight the attendance at the scene of the emergency response team perhaps would have led to a different outcome, but to be honest it may have led to something even worse and more tragic.'' The ERT was normally used "sparingly'', and situations assessed before calling them.

An inspector had earlier tried to contact the ERT. "For various reasons he had difficulty making contact with the leaders.

"The reason I led my unit to the scene unprotected was that the reports I received were that everything was under control, Richard did not have physical possession of the gun.

"But I also knew that the gun did exist and would be somewhere in his house or on his property.'' Det. Ch. Insp. Carlton Adams wrote a 36-page report after the suicide.

Suicide shooting It said Police did not have a contingency plan for dealing with dangerous people armed with guns.

It recommended a contingency plan be put into place using the ERT and specially-trained officers like Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond.

This would enable the force to minimise the danger to themselves in such situations and hopefully save lives.

A superintendent at HQ produced a parallel report, he told the hearing, making "certain recommendations which are still being reviewed''.

Coroner the Wor. John Judge ruled Mr. Hebberd committed suicide, and backed Det. Ch. Insp. Adams' recommendations.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning said after the hearing: "There are no formal contingency plans to deal with such cases.

"But there are certain procedures, and several senior officers are trained in dealing with hostage and barricaded person-type situations.

"Those officers should be informed in the event of such incidents. "You have to bear in mind that each situation is different and is treated accordingly.

"The actions taken in this particular case are under review by the Commissioner and if it is deemed necessary to implement new procedures then it will be done.''