Moat's father 'blames himself' for shooting spree

Raoul Moat's father has blamed himself for the fugitive gunman's shooting spree, because he never knew his son.

Peter Blake was estranged from Moat's mother before he was born and said he never had access to his son. He told ITV1's This Morning he was "stunned" when he heard on the news that Moat had shot three people and was on the run.

After declaring war on police Moat hid for a week before he was cornered in Rothbury, Northumberland, finally killing himself following a six-hour stand-off with armed police on July 10.

Before he pulled the trigger on his sawn-off shotgun, Moat reportedly told negotiators that he had no father, and that nobody cared for him.

Mr Blake, 69, told the TV show: "Well it just makes me feel even worse than I did before because he did have a dad, and his dad did care for him, but he never had access to him and that was the fundamental problem, I think, in his life."

He went on to accept responsibility for Moat's horrific crimes because his son lacked a father figure. Mr Blake said: "That's what I blame myself for really. If I'd have been there for him any time in his life, I think none of this would have happened, you would never have heard of him."

The former doorman and his half-brother Angus were largely brought up by their maternal grandmother in Newcastle, and had a strained relationship with his mother and step-father.

Mr Blake, who is believed to live in London, said he intended to travel to Rothbury when news of the stand-off emerged, but realised it would take six hours to get there.

He told the show: "I thought it would only last a couple of hours and so I just sat and watched and I hoped, actually I was hoping he would fall asleep.

He apologised to Moat's victims - and to his son, saying: "It's an incredible tragedy and I would like to say I'm sorry.

"I'm sorry not for what I did, but for what I didn't do. I'm dreadfully sorry to all the victims, and that's how I feel."