Police on the scene of a suspected drive-by shooting outside Tup Tup Palace

Police on the scene of a suspected drive-by shooting outside Tup Tup Palace

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A doorman has been shot in an apparent drive by shooting outside Tup Tup Palace nightclub in Newcastle.

Witnesses described seeing a black-clad motorcycle rider pull up outside the club at around 10.45pm on Saturday and open fire.

A doorman working at the club on St Nicholas Street in Newcastle city centre was hit in the arm.

He was seen to walk with his black jacket over the wound, a blood soaked white shirt hanging from the waistband of his trousers, to an ambulance.

The area surrounding Tup Tup Palace, next to St Nicholas Cathedral, was cordoned off by police investigators on Saturday night.

An eyewitness from Gateshead was out for a late night bike ride with a friend when he saw what happened.

He said: “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.

“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.

“I could not see what he was carrying but 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. I don’t think they knew what was going on. But some girls in party dresses stood next to me started to scream.”

The eyewitness said the motorcyclist then put the bike into gear and sped off.

“After the bang he was gone. He did not wheelspin, he was not panicked, but he was off like a shot and disappeared around the corner at the lights onto the Westgate Road; very controlled.

“At about that point my mate came out with his coffee and said ‘what was that’? He looked really shaken up.

“Two police horses appeared from the bottom of the Bigg Market; they were heading for Dean Street but then turned round and began to stop traffic.

“Minutes after that the police arrived, then an ambulance.”

It was then that the doorman, named locally as Matthew, walked out of Tup Tup Palace.

The witness said: “The doorman walked out.

“He had his shirt off and his jacket slung over his right shoulder.

“His white shirt was hanging around his waist; it was covered in blood.

“He was a big lad. He walked up the street towards the traffic lights at the end of Collingwood Street where the ambulance was parked behind a police riot van, and got in to the ambulance.

“They shut the doors and the ambulance stopped there for about three minutes before the blue lights went on and it was away.”

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Staff at a nearby club heard of the shooting over their open band security radios, which are tuned in to the police radios.

One, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was stood outside the club when I heard a noise that sounded like a car backfiring but much louder than normal.

“Then, about 20 seconds later, the radio opened up and I found out it was a gun.

“I heard the police say someone went past on a bike.

“Someone had been shot. They thought it was a shotgun.

“And they needed units and an ambulance immediately.”

A promotions girl working on the corner of Collingwood Street, aged 19 and of Low Fell, Gateshead, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was standing on the corner trying to get people in when I heard this really massive bang.

“I thought someone had thrown a firework and it had gone off next to me.

“Within minutes the police were everywhere -there was about 11 riot vans and cars. They started taping the area off.

“I thought there maybe had been a fight but then we heard a bouncer had been shot.”

Northumbria Police are appealing for information.

A spokesman said: “The incident happened at 10.30pm yesterday evening (Saturday, June 6) 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.

“A cordon is in place and St 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.