Lawyers for the family of a Brazilian man killed by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber met police watchdog officials yesterday, demanding answers amid allegations of a police cover-up.

The lawyers' meeting with the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating Jean Charles de Menezes' shooting followed news reports of leaked documents and closed circuit TV footage that called into question initial reports about what happened.

Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head by police who tailed him to the station the day after four bombs were carried onto London's transit system but failed to detonate fully.

Two weeks earlier, 52 commuters had been killed by bombs on London trains and a bus.

"This has been a chaotic mess," said lawyer Gareth Peirce, one of the attorneys representing the Menezes family.

"One of the things we asked the IPCC to investigate is: Are there lies that have been told? Who told them?" she said.

IPCC spokeswoman Mehmuda Mian Pritchard said the talks with the lawyers had been useful, and that it would make further comments later.

Blair told journalists on July 22, the day of the shooting, that Menezes failed to obey their instructions, and police said that "his clothing and his behaviour at the station added to (police) suspicions."

But a leaked report made public by Britain's ITV television on Tuesday into Menezes' death said Menezes was trailed by officers for more than half-an-hour before the shooting, and no attempts were made to stop him.

The Brazilian calmly entered Stockwell tube station, picked up a free newspaper and used his travel card to pass through the barriers, the closed circuit footage showed.

After descending the escalator and running to catch his train, Menezes took a seat in the carriage and was pointed out to armed police by one of at least three surveillance officers who had followed him onto the train.

The surveillance officer says he then "heard shouting which included the word 'police,"' ITV reported.

Menezes stood up and walked towards the surveillance officer, who tackled Menezes and pushed him back into the seat, then "I heard a gunshot very close to my ear and was dragged away on to the floor," the officer said.

Source: China Daily