Nottinghamshire police feared 'corrupt' officers

Mr and Mrs Stirland were shot dead in August 2004

Police hid an operation to target a Nottingham crime boss from colleagues because they were so concerned about corruption, an inquest heard.

Officers were tracking Colin Gunn's gang a year before the killing of Joan and John Stirland in a revenge shooting in Lincolnshire in August 2004.

A former detective told their inquest a secret team would meet at non-police premises and hide intelligence.

A jury is being asked to consider if police failed to protect the couple.

They were targeted by the gang after Mrs Stirland's son, Michael O'Brien, shot a friend of Gunn's.

The couple fled their Nottingham home to Lincolnshire after being shot at, but were tracked down and killed.

There was a complete shroud of secrecy - in effect we disappeared from Nottinghamshire police. Officer E

A retired Nottinghamshire detective chief inspector, identified only as Officer E, told the inquest at Lincoln Crown Court there were suspicions within the force officers were leaking information to criminals.

He said: "We were very concerned about corruption, we did not want to put intelligence on to an open system that might get into the hands of the crime group and alert them to the fact we existed.

"We would work from non-police premises, none of the officers spoke to others in the force, there was a complete shroud of secrecy.

"In effect we disappeared from Nottinghamshire Police.

Colin Gunn was jailed for a total of 35 years

"I myself did not enter a police station for two years."

Officer E said he had information in 2002 that Gunn and members of his family had a caravan on the east coast - but said he was not asked if Trusthorpe was a safe place for the Stirlands.

He added: "I would have advised that would not be the best place for the Stirlands to be."

Officer C told the inquest earlier the Stirlands were warned not to move to the county.

Other officers have previously told the inquest they believed more could have been done to protect the couple.

The inquest jury has been told they must consider if police failed to properly protect the Stirlands and whether police corruption contributed to the couple's death.

Gunn has since been jailed for 35 years for conspiracy to murder the couple.

Co-defendants John Russell, 29, and Michael McNee, 22, were jailed for 30 and 25 years respectively, in 2006.

The inquest continues.

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