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Police were today hunting a known criminal who opened fire on two officers near a busy central London Tube station.
Armed police launched a huge manhunt for the gunman after he fired shots at officers in front of hundreds of commuters.
One of the officers suffered a leg injury but police were unable to say last night whether this was caused by a bullet as the officer is in shock and unable to talk about the incident.
It was thought the minor leg wound may have been caused by the policeman falling while he dived for cover, but police sources said the wound was most likely caused by a bullet.
The two officers were on routine patrol in a marked car when they spotted a man on a bicycle who is wanted by police on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
When they challenged him in Hatfields Street he dumped the bike and ran off. Both officers chased after him on foot as he ran into Isabella Street and then into The Cut by Southwark Tube station, a busy street crowded with commuters.
During the chase the suspect produced a gun and turned and fired at least two shots at the two pursuing officers.
The policemen, who were in uniform, dived for cover. The man ran on towards Blackfriars Road and disappeared.
Eyewitnesses described the gunman as a mixed race man, about 5ft 9in and wearing blue jeans and a grey hoodie. Jill Cartwright, 35, was in Isabella Street when she saw the shooting: "It was shocking. The guy ran past us being chased by two policemen. Suddenly he turned round and fired two shots. We dived under the table."
Daniel Bradley, 26, an editor from Surrey Quays who saw the shooting, said: "One of the policemen shouted 'Shots fired! Shots fired!' into his radio. It was all incredibly surreal."
A number of streets were closed last night for forensic tests after the shooting at 2.45pm.
