Friends of an armed robber shot dead by police said they could not believe he had returned to his life of crime.

Michael Fitzpatrick was shot by armed officers investigating a series of armed robberies across Burgess Hill and Hove, however friends said the “perfect gentleman” had attempted to straighten his life out for his daughter.

A friend who wished to only be known as Debbie said: “Regardless of what he had or hadn’t done, he was a good guy.

“There was a lot going on with him and stuff he had done in the past.

“But he was always a perfect gentleman to me.

“The last time I saw him he was trying to sort himself out. He hadn’t been very stable and had been staying from place to place. And then he had split up with his girlfriend.

“It is very sad that he had been trying to sort his life out.

“I knew he didn’t want to go back to prison. I never met his daughter but he was always talking about her and I think he wanted to make her proud.

“I hadn’t seen him for the last few months. I don’t know what happened to make him fall back into his old ways.”