Speaking from his hospital bed police officer David Rathband describes the moment he was blasted at point blank range by gunman Raoul Moat.

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In an interview with the Sun newspaper PC Rathband says:

"I looked to my left, saw him (Raoul Moat) running from road leads on to roundabout, I knew it was him, the second thing I saw was him holding a gun in a ready position, just sat underneath his chin, held to fire, as he stopped running towards the car, looked at me, I looked at him, he lifted gun, pushed it forward and discharged it through the window.

"I felt pain, I heard noise, I thought the noise was ripping my face apart, then realised it was the shotgun cartridge through my eyesocket, between my two eyes. That threw me away from him and into the footwell of the car, but then by the time I was on the floor with my seatbelt on, I didn't want to bleed to death in the car, could hear lots of blood squirting from my face, splashing on the floor, I knew was bleeding lots, wanted to open door, so someone passing would know I was hanging out of the car. I knew I was going to die.

"I wanted to pass some info to my control room, wanted to press an emergency button that would open, I realised he was still there, I did not hear him but I had the same sense I had when he first shot me as I looked round, I heard a shot of the same weapon and I managed to move away from him and brought hand to my face and felt him shoot me in shoulder.

"The force of that pushed me down onto my seat and decided to leave hand out so I could push the talk mic on gear stick without him knowing.

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Propped up in bed, his face still swollen and covered in shotgun pellet wounds PC Rathband continues:

"I didn't think I'd get to hospital, I heard sirens, it gave me great deal of relief but I honestly believed I wasn't going to get to hospital. I didn't anticipate living very much longer, so what I did is...one of the police sergeants for the dog section was administering first aid and there was a paramedic and not sure which i spoke to but asked him to tell my wife that i loved her and my two children (breaks down) that I love them.

(His wife comes into vision) Once I said that I was aware people trying to keep me talking, did until got to hospital. i wanted to give as much info as poss. then I either lost consciousness or was put into that position.

"The final thing I remember is my blood soaked clothing falling to the floor, that would have been my final image, I didn't expect to live, but fortunately I woke up after that, wife and Chief Constable were either side of me assuring me I was still alive."

"I spoke to a consultant this morning and he has deemed me to be blind. I will be registered sometime in the very near future as blind.

On Raoul Moat and the Facebook Moat 'Hero' websites:

"I listened with some level of disdain about some people making him out to be a legend...I have no feelings for him, he killed another unarmed, defenceless young man, and my heart goes out to that family as well, he shot at his partner, and he shot an unarmed police officer, I have no feelings for him whatsoever.

"If people want to jump on the bandwagon and glorify what he did then they are welcome to it however I want no part of it.


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