Witnesses speak of fatal robbery

Two suspected robbers have been shot dead by police during a raid outside an HSBC bank in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. Witnesses have spoken of what they saw and heard.

LYNN WARD, WHO WORKS NEXT DOOR

Witnesses said they saw two men lying by a security van

"I heard a loud bang ring out and initially thought it must be a traffic accident

"But when I looked out of the window I saw a security van and two people on the floor with armed police stood over them.

"It was chaos and there was lots of shouting and screaming. It was then I realised it must have been gunshots.

"We immediately locked the doors and hid in the back. At the moment the whole precinct has been closed and nobody can get in or out.

We are all very shocked

"Chandler's Ford is a rural town and you certainly do not expect this kind of thing to happen.

"We are all very shocked but the police have come in and reassured us there is nothing to worry about now."

JAMIE OWENS, 16, WHO LIVES ABOVE THE BANK

"I heard two gunshots. I thought nothing of them. I thought it was just a car backfiring, then I heard a woman screaming, heard a lot of commotion and I saw the two men lying on the floor.

"Their clothes were stripped off them with tape on their chests as they tried to resuscitate them, but one wasn't moving at all.

"There were 25 to 30 undercover police officers with Metropolitan Police across their caps with big machine guns.

I work in a fish and chip shop - I could easily have been caught up in it

"They were shouting at people that they can't go home, they must leave the area.

"I saw a lot of police around. I saw a helicopter landing in the street. It's very shocking that this happened in Chandler's Ford.

"I'm normally down there, where I work in a fish and chip shop. I could easily have been caught up in it.

"My friends also said that they saw a third man running from the scene and the police said that he was still on the run."

MELANIE CHASE, WHO LIVES ABOVE THE BANK

"I was in the bath when I heard someone shouting 'Get down, Get down' and then I heard three shots.

"I looked out the window and saw blood everywhere on the floor. It was horrible."

THOMAS FURNELL, 85, WHOSE FLAT OVERLOOKS THE SCENE

"I recognised the sound of gunshots immediately because of my time in the forces.

"I heard four shots and went over to the window to see what was going on.

This shooting has really got people talking

"Even by that time one of the men was on the floor and the police were stood around him.

"A lot more police officers arrived at the scene in cars over the next few minutes.

"If there is a car crash in these parts it is big news. So this shooting has really got people talking."

ROB HOLMAN, 41, WHO WAS DRIVING PAST

"I heard a bang but then I heard two or three more and then immediately there were two cars filled with armed police rushing past.

"It was a long time before uniformed police arrived but there were so many armed police here they must have had a tip-off."