THE man killed by a police marksman involved in the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes was also shot with a 50,000 volt Taser gun, it emerged today.

Robert Haines, 41, was gunned down on Tuesday night as police tried to thwart a robbery at a Nationwide building society in New Romney, Kent.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), who revealed the man's identity today, are investigating the shooting but have been unable to say which officers were involved.

However, sources say the gun was fired by one of two men involved in the shooting of Mr Menezes at Stockwell tube station, south London, in July last year.

It was suggested that the Taser stun gun may have then been used because the victim's hand was still twitching.

Mr Haines, an ex-bouncer who lived with his wife Gillian and three young sons in Challock, near Ashford, Kent, was confirmed dead at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Sources said he was "well-known" to police and alleged to have committed a string of raids on banks and building societies.

Three men were arrested during the raid on Tuesday night and a firearm was recovered from the scene during what police described as a "proactive" operation.

Scotland Yard confirmed that officers involved in the Menezes shooting were also involved in the incident in Kent. A police officer has been relieved of firearms duties pending an inquiry.

A statement from London's Metropolitan Police yesterday said: "The specialist firearms team (CO19) involved in the Flying Squad operation in Kent did include officers from the same team who were involved in the Stockwell shooting in July last year.

"The Met has a small cadre of specialist highly-trained firearms officers who last year were deployed to 2,529 incidents and were involved in 938 pre-planned operations.

"They perform an extremely difficult but vital function responding to armed threats against the public and their unarmed colleagues and it is extremely rare for officers to fire their guns.

"As is proper the IPCC is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting. Their enquiries are ongoing but they have confirmed that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

"It is deeply regrettable when anyone dies as a result of police action."

Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head after being mistaken for a suspected terrorist.

The two officers involved were suspended from firearms duties following the incident last summer.

However, they were both returned to full operational duties with the CO19 firearms unit in July this year after the Crown Prosecution Service decided that neither should face charges.

The family of Mr de Menezes, who recently launched a High Court appeal against the decision not to prosecute, responded with anger to the latest shooting.

A spokeswoman for the family said: "The family of Jean Charles de Menezes expressed shock and disbelief at the news that officers involved in the killing of Jean Charles have killed again.

"Family members were horrified to learn that the same officers have been given a licence to kill again even before the investigative process into Jean's death is complete."