Police leaders have been accused of failing to stand by officers involved in the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man.

Graham Alexander, joint chairman of the Sussex branch of the Police Federation, said officers were wrongly accused of criminal offences and were criticised but he said: "Where were our leaders when we needed them?

"Our members deserved and needed support from the Sussex Police Authority and they (the authority) failed us."

Speaking at a federation meeting in Crawley last night, he attacked Councillor David Rogers, authority chairman, over a report leaked to the Press which gave the impression officers had "gotten away with it" when they were acquitted of the charges.

Mr Alexander said: "Mr Rogers decided to do nothing. Why?"

He said the chairman said the authority took no action about the leak because it was not in the public interest. Mr Alexander said: "Where is the integrity and justice in that?"

James Ashley, 39, died when armed police burst into his flat in Hastings in 1998.