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A bouncer has been shot in a drive by shooting outside a Newcastle nightclub.

A black-clack motorcycle rider was seen pulling up outside the city's Tup Tup Palace before opening fire at around 10.45pm last night.

It is thought the 24-year-old doorman was hit in the arm, and was seen walking with his black jacket over the wound and a blood soaked white shirt hanging from the waistband of his trousers, to an ambulance.

The area surrounding Tup Tup Palace, on St Nicholas’ Street in Newcastle city centre , was cordoned off by police investigators.

Eyewitness Graham Newton, 27, of Bensham, Gateshead, was out for a late night bike ride with a friend when he saw what happened.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

He told the Chronicle : “My mate had gone into Subway to grab a coffee and I was waiting with my bike outside St Nicholas Cathedral, pretty much directly opposite the club.

“I saw a black motorbike pull up outside the coffee shop next door, La Maschera; right by where the kerb comes in for the parking spaces.

“It was a big bike, black all over and with what looked like a body kit on it so that you could not see its marking. But I could see it was a powerful sports bike; a Ducati or something like that.

“The rider was dressed all in black too - black helmet, visor, leather jacket, motorbike boots and blue jeans.

(Image: Sunday Sun)

“It looked quite suspicious because he put his foot down and looked around; he stared right at me for a second.

“Then he started pushing at the handlebars of the bike as if it had stalled and he was trying to get it to start.

“I thought he had stalled.

“There was about 50 people queued up outside the club.

“The bike moved slowly towards Tup Tup and he was just past the kerb when there was a massive bang.

(Image: Sunday Sun)

“I knew it was a gunshot. I used to go shooting with my family and it sounded to me not like a shotgun, but like a big handgun.

“I was on the mobile to my girlfriend and she said ‘What the Hell was that’?

“I thought for a second it was the motorbike backfiring.

“The people outside Tup Tup did not react. but some girls in party dresses stood next to me started to scream.”

Northumbria Police are appealing for information.

A spokesman said: “The incident happened at 10.30pm yesterday evening (Sunday, June 7) outside Tup Tup Palace in Saint Nicholas Street. Police attended after a report that a member of door staff at the premises had been injured.

“It has been established a firearm was discharged by a person travelling on a motorbike which then made off. The man, aged 24, has been taken to hospital for treatment. The extent of his injuries are not known at this stage.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

“A cordon is in place and Saint Nicholas Street is closed to allow the incident to be dealt with.

“Extra officers are in the area to offer reassurance and keep disruption to a minimum.

“Enquiries are being carried out to trace the motorbike.”

Superintendent Chris Sharman said: “We know incidents like this cause concern and I would like to reassure the public that we are doing everything we can to trace the person responsible for this incident.

“Extra officers are in the city centre to help keep disruption to a minimum and offer reassurance to those who are in the city centre.

“If anyone has any information about this incident we would urge them to come forward and speak to us.”

Anyone with information should contact Northumbria Police on 101 ext 69191 quoting reference 1410 060615 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111