A SECOND police officer is poised to sue Gwent Police following the Newbridge robbery shooting.

On Wednesday we revealed how former police constable Andrew David Hurley, (pictured) a former armed response officer with the force, is suing Chief Constable Keith Turner for up to £250,000 over the after-effects of the incident.

Mr Hurley shot the offender Gemalettin Ortancil, 19, in the shoulder. The teenager was arrested and later sentenced to 11 years youth custody for armed robbery.

Now former PC Alan Edwards, also part of the four-man armed response team called to the bank robbery in October 2000, is to sue, it was revealed at Cardiff county court yesterday.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said today that although the force was aware of the court revelation, it had not received notification of legal action from Mr Edwards. He has also left the force.

The court heard yesterday from a senior police officer that the fact Gwent Police did not have post incident procedures in place at the time of the Newbridge robbery shooting "was not a problem".

Retired Mr Hurley, aged 34, of Newport, says he suffered a psychological disorder because of the way he was treated by senior officers following the shooting. The father-of-two says he was denied a 'hot' debrief, and was treated in an opposite manner to that which he had been trained to expect.

Giving evidence at Cardiff county court, Chief Superintendent Joy Lott, who was post incident manager, said the lack of a post incident policy at the time - October 26, 2000 - was "not a problem on the day".

She admitted it was her responsibility to minimise the risk of psychological trauma to officers following the incident.

She said that after the incident Mr Hurley was taken to the fire arms training office - somewhere "reasonably secure away from press, public and other officers".

Chief Supt Lott said part of her role was to act as a go between for the external Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) who was South Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rogers.

She said she did not think it necessary to take Mr Hurley's clothes, or ask him three times for a blood sample, but she was instructed to do so by the SIO.

Chief Supt Lott said that before Mr Hurley and his two colleagues involved in the incident left after the shooting, she told them to take the weekend off and asked if they wanted counselling.

A Police Federation representative and welfare officer were also brought in, she said. Chief Supt Lott said a debrief was not arranged until January 5, 2001, because she was the only person at Gwent police trained in structured debriefing at that time and the force needed someone independent.

The debrief was held during the principal officers' weekend off and none attended. Proceeding.