THE police who intercepted suspected armed robbers opened fire with shotguns and also semi-automatic weapons on a supermarket car park, it has been revealed.

New details have been revealed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission who are investigating the shooting incident in Haslingden on Friday night.

Four police firearms and a taser gun were used in the incident, which left a 29-year-old man from Manchester with gun shot wounds.

Greater Manchester Police firearms officers used two shotguns loaded with special munitions to disable the two suspect vehicles. A Glock hand-gun was also discharged once and a TP9 semi-automatic weapon was discharged three times.

All shots fired were by police officers. The IPCC is now appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened around 10.30pm at the Co-op store rear car park in John Street, off Blackburn Road.

GMP’s Serious Crime Division and Tactical Firearms Unit intercepted a gang in the car park, in a pre-planned oper-ation, and moved to arrest three men.

The men were in two cars – a Ford Focus and a Mini Cooper– which were boxed in by unmarked police cars.

The 29-year-old man who was shot was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital initially, before being transferred to Blackpool Victoria.

He remains under arrest and his condition is ‘serious but stable’, although his injuries are regarded as non-life threatening.

Ms Naseem Malik, IPCC Commissioner for the North West, said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who thinks they may have witnessed any part of the incident.”

Three men, including the injured man, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Two men have been charged subsequently in connection with the incident.