Sussex Police's armed officers have been trained to carry out life-saving procedures on anyone they shoot.

They have been issued with military-style trauma dressings and instructed in invasive medical procedures and administering life-saving drugs.

The shoot-and-save move follows the fatal shooting of James Ashley in Hastings in 1998.

The 40-year-old man died after being shot in the neck in an ill-fated police raid on his flat in St Leonards.

Subsequent criticism from Home Secretary David Blunkett led to the early retirement of then Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse.

His successor, Ken Jones, wants to meet Mr Ashley's family to apologise for what happened.

The chief's gesture and the new policy are revealed in a Sussex Police Authority report on the death.

Mr Ashley's mother Eileen said she welcomed the offer of an apology but expressed concern the family had not been informed of the report in advance.

She said: "I would appreciate an apology but I am not pleased this has come out like this, without us being told."

Mr Ashley's brother Tony said the family still wanted a public inquiry.

The 15-page report details the actions of the Sussex officers on the day of the shooting and the later decisions of senior officers.

The shoot-and-save policy is one of a number of measures taken in response to a series of recommendations by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Sussex Police now asks for Sussex Ambulance Service back-up for pre-planned firearms operations. Extra training has been brought in and procedures to record events have been tightened up.

The raid was to arrest Mr Ashley and seize drugs police thought were in the flat.

The report tells how, as officers entered the building, one officer bumped into an ironing board that was against a wall. The noise caused a dog to bark and, fearing the operation was compromised, officers were ordered in without delay.

Mr Ashley, unarmed and naked, was shot as he got out of bed where he was sleeping with his girlfriend.

The armed officer who fired the shot, PC Chris Sherwood, insisted Mr Ashley raised his arms and rushed towards him. Mr Ashley's girlfriend said it was the officer who moved forward before firing.

PC Sherwood and other officers were cleared of criminal offences but there are three still facing a total of 15 internal disciplinary charges.

The report concludes: "Both the chief constable and the police authority deeply regret the tragic shooting of James Ashley and extend their deepest sympathy to his family.

"No one set out that fateful day to deliberately end the life of James Ashley.

"The new chief constable has said that while no words of his can hope to assuage the Ashley family's sense of loss, he is willing to meet with them to make an apology for what happened and provide reassurance that everything possible is being done to reduce the risk of such a thing happening again.

"Unfortunately, the police service is regularly obliged to confront determined armed criminals and, as yet, no perfect means have been designed to remove totally the inherent risk to life."

In the Commons last night, Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said the report demonstrated "the failings of Sussex Police, the inadequacy of police accountability and lack of concern for the bereaved".