A SENIOR firearms officer has broken his ten-year silence to launch a stinging criticism of the police handling of the murder of planning officer Harry Colinson.

Almost a decade since Albert Dryden was convicted of gunning down Mr Collinson, former sergeant David Blackie has revealed an insider's view of the police response to the shooting.

His accusations allege serious concerns among fellow tactical firearms advisors that they were not consulted before the shooting at Butsfield, near Consett.

His criticisms are contained in a book, yet to find a publisher, raising questions as to why the armed response vehicle was based at Consett Police Station on June 20, 1991, and not nearer the scene of the shooting.

Dryden, now 61, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Mr Collinson, who was chief planning officer at Derwentside District Council.

He was shot at point-blank range in front of horrified reporters, council workers and police officers as he arrived to tell the former steelworker that the bungalow he had built without planning permission in remote countryside was to be bulldozed.

Extraordinary footage of the shootings, captured by a BBC TV crew and Northern Echo photographer Michael Peckett, was beamed to millions across the world.

PC Stephen Campbell was also shot in the lower back and BBC television reporter Tony Belmont was hit in the arm as they fled for their lives.

Mr Blackie, 48, of Barnard Castle, was one of four firearms instructors and tactical advisors at Durham Constabulary. He was on an exercise when he was called to Butsfield within minutes of the shooting.

During the research for the book, called Manstopper, he has managed to speak to Dryden's sister Elsie, Harry's brother Roy Collinson, a number of police officers and, remarkably, Dryden himself, who granted him a jail interview.

Mr Blackie claims there had been a number of complaints to police about Dryden's violent behaviour and threats in the days leading up to June 20.

He says that disgruntled officers had to press for a police de-brief in the aftermath of the murder, which was eventually held, but police planning for the operation was not discussed.

Mr Blackie writes: "Many felt that an opportunity had been missed for the constabulary to come to terms with the consequences of an error of judgement which might, or might not, have saved Harry Collinson's life."

Mr Blackie also claims that on-the-ground intelligence was not sought from local police officers beforehand or from tactical firearms advisors.

He said: "The theory is, if they had any suspicion of firearms about Dryden, they should have spoken to the people who were experts in the field.

"They were my colleagues and that wasn't done. All I wanted was for someone to stand up and say, 'We got it wrong, let's learn from it and put something in place.'"

Roy Collinson, Harry's brother, who lives in Stocksfield, Northumberland, says: "The police have said they had no reason to suspect Dryden had a gun because he didn't have a licence for them, but what about all the threats that were made?

"A lot of people just seemed to think the threats would never happen and yet he had a history of firearms. I'm just concerned now that Dryden stays in jail."

Durham Police press officer George Oliver replied to the criticisms saying that the officers at Eliza Lane, Butsfield, on the fateful day were local officers chosen because they knew Albert Dryden and could talk to him more easily than officers who would have been strangers.

"This was a deliberate move designed to ease any tension. After the shootings, people questioned why we did not have the firearms team at the scene. The reality is that if we felt it was necessary to have a firearms team present at the time, we would never have allowed the council to go ahead with the plans.

"After the shootings, many people were quick to remark that they all knew Dryden had guns.

"If they knew for certain, they should have come to us and given us the evidence.

"We had no evidence that he possessed firearms, and if we had we would have sought a warrant to search his property.

"The armed response vehicle was stationed at Consett that day as a back-up for the unpredictable, the unimaginable, but that is what happened and no one could have predicted the events and no one can be blamed, other than the man who fired the shots.

"Until the shooting, there was no justification for deploying firearms officers to the scene."

Mr Oliver said it was true that earlier in the year Dryden had attacked a council official but in no way could that be described as a serious assault.

"Despite that assault, the police view of Dryden was that he was an amiable eccentric, known locally because of his refusal to obey local planning regulations.

"There was a huge operational de-briefing after the shooting. There were no public concerns raised that justified an inquiry.