No weapons found in car of man shot dead by police 'Initial visual search' of the car and scene in where Anthony Grainger was shot dead by an armed officer 'has not located any weapons'. A search of a car in which a man was shot dead by police at the weekend in Cheshire has not located any weapons, the police watchdog has said in a statement. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said that "initial evidence" suggested that Anthony Grainger, who died from a single gunshot wound, was hit in the chest as he sat in the driver's seat after a police officer fired through the windscreen. Two other rounds fired from a police shotgun hit the car's tyres and a CS canister was thrown into the vehicle. "Due to the presence of CS residue in the car a full forensic examination has not yet been conducted to establish whether there are any weapons in the car," the IPCC said. This will take place in a controlled environment in the next few days. An initial visual search inside the Audi, and a search of the immediate vicinity of the car, has not located any weapons. IPCC investigators who were sent to the scene of the incident in a village car park in Culcheth, Cheshire on Saturday night have taken initial statements from the officer who fired the fatal shot using a Heckler and Koch MP5 carbine, the officer who was carrying the shotgun and the firearms team leader. House-to-house enquiries have been carried out in the area. Initial evidence collected suggests two police firearms were discharged during the incident, according to the watchdog, but it added that a full ballistic examination needs to be undertaken on the recovered police weapons to confirm this. An IPCC Commissioner, Naseem Malik, and the investigation team have met with Grainger's mother and partner to explain the role of the IPCC. Malik said: "My thoughts are with Mr Grainger's family and friends at what must be an incredibly difficult time for them. Our investigation into the actions of the officers at the scene, the planning and implementation of the police operation and the reason for the deployment and discharge of firearms is progressing. There is a great deal of work still to be done including forensic examinations, ballistic tests and interviews with a number of police officers. Investigators have identified some witnesses to events but I would urge anyone who has information about the incident to come forward to assist our investigation. Any piece of information, no matter how insignificant you believe it to be, can assist us. An inquest into Grainger's death was opened and adjourned at Warrington Coroner's Court, pending the findings of the IPCC investigation. The inquest heard that he was born in Salford and lived in Deane Church Lane, Bolton. His occupation was given as "odd job man." Meanwhile, three men have appeared in court charged with conspiracy to commit robbery between 24 January and 3 March. David Totton, 33, and Robert Rimmer, 26, both from Manchester, and Joseph Travers, 27, of no fixed address, stood together in the dock for a short hearing at Manchester magistrates court. Two of the men were arrested in Culcheth on Saturday night and a third was arrested in Manchester on Sunday. They were all remanded to appear at Manchester crown court later this month. Greater Manchester police's pre-planned operation is thought to have been connected to a violent robbery two weeks ago in which a thief wearing a balaclava is alleged to have punched one shopkeeper in the face and threatened others with a machete. It emerged that Grainger had been a defendant in a multimillion-pound drugs trial that led to a juror being jailed for contempt of court. Joanne Fraill, 40, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment last year after she admitted exchanging online messages with Grainger's co-defendant Jamie Sewart, 34, who had already been acquitted, in August 2010. Grainger was later cleared of conspiracy to supply drugs but had already admitted handling stolen cars in connection with the case and was jailed for 20 months.