The Metropolitan Police has said it will offer to meet Mark Duggan's family to express its sympathy following the conclusion of the inquest into his death.

A jury today found Mr Duggan had been killed lawfully when he was fatally shot by an armed policeman in Tottenham on August 4, 2011.

His death sparked days of riots across north London.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice this afternoon, said he hoped to meet with Mr Duggan's family and that police would continue to work with local leaders to strengthen relationships between officers and the community.

He said: “No officer sets out at the start of the day to run an operation that results in someone dying. So our sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one.

“But the task our officers face in making split-second decisions when confronting armed criminals means there is a risk - a very small risk - that this will happen.

“Armed criminals have shot dead more than 50 people in London in the last three-and-a-half years. We send out well-trained, professional armed officers thousands of times a year to combat this threat, only firing shots once or twice. These careful tactics have significantly reduced gun crime.

“It is significant, then, that a jury of Londoners, who have seen and heard all the evidence, have today concluded that not only was the operation to stop Mark Duggan in the taxi conducted in a way which minimised to the greatest extent possible recourse to lethal force, but that Mark Duggan had a gun, and also that our officer had an honest and reasonable belief that Mark Duggan still had the gun when he shot him.

“We know the trust is not shared by everyone. I will be offering to meet Mark Duggan's family to express our sorrow. And we will continue working with local leaders to strengthen relationships. We know it will take time.”