Yard chief not told Brazilian man was innocent for 24 hours

Scotland Yard chief Ian Blair did not know his officers had shot an innocent man until 24 hours after Jean Charles de Menezes was killed, it emerged tonight.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said he first learned the 27-year-old had no connection to the attempted London transport system bombings of July 21 when a colleague told him words to the effect: “Houston, we have a problem”.