Caroline Courtland-Smith said she was still waiting for justice after the death of her boyfriend.

She said yesterday's acquittals effectively meant police were entitled to shoot innocent people in their own homes.

In a statement released by her London-based solicitors, Ms Courtland-Smith, who was in bed with James Ashley on the night he was shot, said: "I can only express my absolute and utter horror that the case against the police, whose actions led to the death of my boyfriend Jimmy, have been discharged without further evidence being presented by the defence."

Ms Courtland-Smith, who was not in Wolverhampton for today's hearing, said: "It must be remembered that at the root of all this is the death of a person, Jimmy.

"Nothing can bring him back but he is entitled to rest with the fact that the persons who were responsible for his death have been brought to justice.

"The discharge of this case means that the events of that night in that room remain untried. To me this means effectively that the police are entitled to shoot innocent people in their own homes.

"Jimmy was completely vulnerable when he was killed and I fail to see how an acquittal of self-defence has been brought. I do understand that it is down to legal process but that can't give me, or anyone, confidence in the use of guns by the police, or the ability of the courts to do justice.

"I, and Jimmy's family, have suffered awfully from these events - Jimmy is dead and I await some justice."

The mother of Ms Courtland-Smith, Toni Roberts, of Hastings, said: "I can't understand how a man is dead and no one is held culpable. I'm shocked, I can't believe it."

Mrs Roberts said her daughter was still suffering after witnessing her boyfriend's death.

She said: "Caroline is still in a state of shock and her suffering has now been compounded by the failure of the court cases."

Last night solicitors representing Ms Courtland-Smith called for a public inquiry into the death and the use of firearms by the police.

David Greene, of Edwin Coe solicitors, said: "This issue remains unresolved. All three investigations into the events of that evening have been private, police inquiries.

"The circumstances that led to an innocent man being gunned down by the police, in his bedroom, warrant an immediate public inquiry.

"It is important to establish exactly what happened, before the shooting, after the shooting and in the aftermath of the shooting."