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17 March 2011
Last updated at 12:06 ET
Armed police chasing Derrick Bird during his shooting rampage passed his taxi coming the other way and then lost him due to roadworks, an inquest heard.
When the gunman started his killing campaign, the two officers who normally patrolled the area were in a police canteen in Penrith, 40 miles away.
The 52-year-old taxi driver killed 12 people and injured 11 in west Cumbria on 2 June last year.
After spotting Bird, the two officers did not have time to draw weapons.
"I shouted at Pc Laverack 'that's him, that's the driver, that's the taxi,"' Pc Lewis told the inquest at the Energus centre in Workington.
The pair, who manned the armed response vehicle (ARV), drove round a bend at 60mph to be confronted by Bird's silver Citroen Picasso coming the other way.
But by the time they had turned around and been delayed in the roadworks, Bird had vanished.
Prior to this the two were in the canteen at Cumbria Police HQ in Penrith waiting for minor repairs to be done on their Volvo ARV.
Both armed officers first got information about the shootings around 1030 BST while in Penrith and were immediately given authority to use lethal force if necessary to stop Bird, the inquest heard.
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When the gunman started his killing campaign, the two officers who normally patrolled the area were in a police canteen in Penrith, 40 miles away.
The 52-year-old taxi driver killed 12 people and injured 11 in west Cumbria on 2 June last year.
After spotting Bird, the two officers did not have time to draw weapons.
"I shouted at Pc Laverack 'that's him, that's the driver, that's the taxi,"' Pc Lewis told the inquest at the Energus centre in Workington.
The pair, who manned the armed response vehicle (ARV), drove round a bend at 60mph to be confronted by Bird's silver Citroen Picasso coming the other way.
But by the time they had turned around and been delayed in the roadworks, Bird had vanished.
Prior to this the two were in the canteen at Cumbria Police HQ in Penrith waiting for minor repairs to be done on their Volvo ARV.
Both armed officers first got information about the shootings around 1030 BST while in Penrith and were immediately given authority to use lethal force if necessary to stop Bird, the inquest heard.
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