Two men have been shot in a quiet Ilford street after “frantically knocking on people’s doors” to escape a gunman on a motorbike.

The men, aged 21 and 29, were taken to hospital suffering from gunshot wounds at 11.30pm on Monday, after the incident in Mortlake Road.

The oldest victim was shot in the arm and remains in hospital in a serious condition, while the younger man could lose sight in one of his eyes after being shot in the head.

Noora Khan, 42, said: “I heard the shots and I was really scared because my husband wasn’t home.

“When I looked out my window, there was a man frantically knocking on people’s doors trying to run away from someone on a motorbike. He was bleeding badly.”

Commotion

Mrs Khan, whose neighbour helped one of the men after he had been shot, added: “I think he thought it might be his son. He sat with the man for a while and tried to comfort him until the paramedics arrived.”

A Mortlake Road resident, who did not want to be named, added: “We heard two or three shots ring out, but thought it might just be fireworks. We then heard sirens and a lot of commotion, which kept us awake all night.”

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said three men, aged 18-21, were arrested in Romford on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder, and remain in custody.

Anyone with information should contact Trident Gang Command on 0207 230 9831 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A similar incident took place in September last year, when a 27-year-old man was shot close to the junction of Aldborough Road South and St Johns Road in Seven Kings, after being chased by two men on a motorbike.