A coroner has ruled a man shot dead by police was lawfully killed.

James Fox of Picardy House, Cedar Road, Enfield, was shot five times by armed police on August 30, 2015 at his home.

The 43-year-old, who was known to mental health teams, threatened people with a gun, including a child, on the night he died, a jury at North London Coroner’s Court heard.

He was shot by armed officers after pointing “what looked like a gun at them”.

Commander Matt Twist, in charge of armed policing at the Met Police said: "It is vitally important that when a police officer shoots someone that the full facts of what took place are independently investigated and carefully considered by an inquest.

"My thoughts are with Mr Fox's family, and I recognise that this must have been a very distressing time for them.

"All of our firearms officers are experienced police officers who volunteer for the additional responsibility of carrying a gun, to protect London and their unarmed colleagues.

"No police officer wants to take someone's life. We ask our armed officers, and indeed expect them, to make split second decisions, in some of the most complex, fast moving and dangerous situations, to protect the public, their colleagues and themselves.

"They fully understand that they will have to account for any force that they use. No officer would want it any other way. However, the impact and stress that this process can have on them as people should never be underestimated.”

The shooting was captured by body-worn video cameras, which was shown to the jury during the inquest.

The inquest also heard Mr Fox’s father, Eamon, had not been aware of the police operation which resulted in his son’s death until after it had happened.

A statement from Eamon Fox, read out during the inquest, said: "If I had been told about the armed police I would have offered to go and speak to James, or on the phone. I feel that things were withheld from me.

"I feel very strongly that I should have been told what was going on and given the opportunity to stop what was going on."

The inquest heard "quiet and shy" James, who was once sectioned under the Mental Health Act, had a history of mental illness and alcohol abuse.