Inquest opens on gunshot victim

AN inquest into the death of a 36-year-old man shot dead by police at Culcheth, near Warrington, was opened and then adjourned at Warrington today.
Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg adjourned the hearing after hearing evidence of identification and also from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The dead man was Anthony Grainger, from Bolton and he died on Saturday night after being shot during what Greater Manchester Police described as a “pre-planned operation”
Mr Rheinberg was told the IPCC would be leading the investigation into what happened and it was likely to be a protracted investigation because of the significant number of police officers they would need to speak to.
The dead man’s occupation was given as “odd job man”.
He died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the chest after the car in which he was travelling was stopped near Jackson Avenue, Culcheth.
Meanwhile, three other men have appeared in court in Manchester charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.
David Totton, 33, and Robert Rimmer, 26, both from Manchester, and Joseph Travers, 27, of no fixed address, were all remanded in custody until later this month.
It is understood, the police operation in Culcheth was linked to a robbery two weeks ago in which a robber wearing a balaclava punched a shopkeeper in the face and threatened other shop staff with a machete.
An IPCC spokesman said: “The independent investigation will consider the actions of all the officers at the scene, as well as the planning, decision-making and implementation of the operation which led to the death.”