Police 'unintentionally' shoot man after captive woman call Published duration 9 February 2019

image copyright Google image caption Police received a report of a woman being held by armed men in the Anchor pub but could not find her when they got there

A man was accidentally shot by police as they investigated reports of a woman being held by armed men in a south-east London pub.

The Met responded to a call shortly before 04:00 GMT which reported a woman was being held against her will at the Anchor Pub in Lewisham.

Officers stopped a car near the pub and a gun was "unintentionally discharged" injuring a man, police said.

He and another man in the car, along with five others, have been arrested.

The five men were all arrested at the pub where a search was carried out, although police could not find a woman.

Police have not confirmed what the men have been arrested on suspicion of.

The car had been stopped near to the junction with Blackheath Hill.

The injured man, aged in his 20s, remains in hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing, the Met said.

Det Ch Insp James Stanyer said officers "are working hard to fully understand this incident" and appealed for the woman who originally called 999 to contact them.

Lewisham Way has been closed for most of the day while officers carried out their investigation.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, has launched an independent investigation into the shooting by armed police.

The Met's own Directorate of Professional Standards has also been informed.