A man from Cricklewood who fired a sawn off shotgun in the direction of police officers as they tried to arrest him on Valentine’s Day has been jailed for 10 years today.

One officer suffered minor injuries as they tried to apprehend Mark Anthony Bryan at the scene in West Hendon on February 14.

The officers, from the Met’s armed response units, had been alerted to reports of shots being fired from a balcony at Franklin House.

The 48-year-old, of Topaz Walk, was also injured and was hospitalised until April 7.

In September he pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to:

Possession of a prohibited weapon (sawn off shotgun);

Possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence - shots off the balcony into the street;

Possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence - shots in the presence of the police officers; and

Possession of a firearm with intent to resist or prevent arrest.

Detective Inspector Glenn Butler, of the Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “This was a frightening incident for the local residents in and around Franklin House.

“This incident brings into focus the dangers firearm officers are faced with, a role that they volunteer for. They have to make split second decisions in stressful situations, and on this occasion one of our firearms officers was injured during the response.

“Firearms are used to cause fear, injury and death. Just as we continue to do with knives, Trident are committed to taking as many firearms off London’s streets as we can.”

The circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.