Man shot dead outside Wandsworth prison

A man was shot dead today outside a prison in southwest London after visiting an inmate, police said.

The man, believed to be aged in his 20s, was gunned down in the car park at the front of Wandsworth Prison at about 2.30pm and two suspects wearing crash helmets were seen running away, police said.

The shot man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim has not yet been named although a police spokeswoman said officers believed they knew the man's identity.

The spokeswoman said she could not confirm media reports that at least four shots had been fired.

"I saw two men in the street. They made me nervous," an unnamed eyewitness was quoted by media as saying.

"They were wearing motorcycle helmets with the fronts pulled down over their faces. I walked into a shop, I thought they were cash van security guards.

"That is when I heard several bangs. I thought they were gunshots, there were at least four."