GUNMAN Alistair Bell who shot a policeman before being killed by a police marksman did not want to be sent back to jail.

The 42-year-old was killed after a seven-hour siege at his Kirkheaton home in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Examiner can reveal today that even though Mr Bell had served a long jail term, he did not want to return to prison.

He was jailed back in 1997 for nine-and-a-half years for offences committed while he was an enforcer for a gang of ruthless drug dealers.

But a close friend claimed that Mr Bell had turned his life around in recent years.

The friend, who did not want to be named, said: “I saw him on Christmas Eve and he seemed absolutely fine, so I’ve no idea why all this has happened.

“He hadn’t been in trouble for several years and had become a family man. He had changed his life around and wanted to spend time with his kids.’’

But the friend stressed that Mr Bell had not wanted to go back to prison.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating all the circumstances surrounding the shooting, said that around 6pm on Monday Mr Bell had allegedly made threats against a woman and her husband in Kirkheaton.

Unarmed officers spoke to the woman before going to Mr Bell’s home at around 10pm to speak to him about the allegations.

But he suddenly produced a handgun, threatened the officers and shot one of them in the back as they were trying to get away.

The bullet lodged in the officer’s stab-resistant vest, leaving him with bruises and abrasions on his torso near to his kidneys.

Mr Bell fired sporadically at officers during the course of the siege that followed, but was shot and killed at 5.30am on Tuesday when he is reported to have again fired at the armed officers surrounding his end terraced home on Cockley Hill Lane.

A 9mm self-loading pistol was later recovered from the house.

An IPCC spokesman urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

She said: “Anybody with any information about this incident, and in particular, anybody who may have filmed or taken photographs of the unfolding incident, is asked to contact the IPCC on 0800 096 9076 or email: kirkheaton.investigation@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk”.

Divorced Mr Bell, who had a daughter and stepson, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years in March 1997 for false imprisonment, wounding and possessing a shotgun with intent to cause fear.

It followed an eight-week trial at Leeds Crown Court after which brothers Peter and David Brocklesby, who ran a drugs business in Ravensthorpe, were jailed for a total of 43 years.

Mr Bell – who was 28 at the time and living in Foxlow Avenue, Rawthorpe – was part of the gang that protected the brothers’ drug trade in heroin and crack cocaine.

He was one of the henchmen responsible for kidnapping, imprisoning and torturing customers suspected of stepping out of line by “grassing” or defaulting on payment.

Last year Mr Bell’s house on Cockley Hill Lane was raided by police investigating drug and gun crime.

They found drugs during the operation, part of co-ordinated searches across the Huddersfield area.

The IPCC investigation may take several months to complete, but once an initial report is with the coroner, Mr Bell’s body can be released for a funeral.