A man has been shot dead in the middle of a busy north London high street outside a popular cafe.

Police descended on Kilburn High Road at 5.20pm on Thursday after reports of the shooting.

Witnesses reported seeing armed officers and up to 10 police cars arriving at the scene, just outside Ellie's Cafe and a kebab shop.

Paramedics also arrived to treat the man, believed to be in his early 20s, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said, as people gathered to see what had happened, fights broke out in the crowd.

He told the Standard: "I didn't see it happen, but everyone sure heard the bang.

"It sounded like some shop sign or a sheet of metal falling."

"There was just saw a loud crowd of people, then a large crowd of black youths pushing everyone to move," he said.

"One of them punched a random by-stander because he was too close.

"A fight broke out, with people punching people who were filming it.

"His mates were trying to empty his pockets."

He said: "Women came out of the Somali mosque screaming as they wanted to see if it was their boy."

The manager of minicab firm Swift Cars said he saw a person lying on the pavement being given CPR before around 10 police cars arrived with their sirens blaring.

He said: "People were shocked and confused. I've been told the first person attempting to help the victim was an Asian-looking woman, who jumped out of her car."

"An elderly lady asked me what happened," he said. "I replied a person was shot.

"She said, 'oh my god, why is it happening again and again here in Kilburn?"

A Scotland Yard spokesman said there had been no arrests so far.