Police searching for 'drive-by' shooter who injured Newcastle nightclub doorman

The assailant pulled up outside of Tup Tup Palace nightclub before firing the weapon at the man who, currently in a stable condition in hospital

Tup Tup Palace the nightclub in NEwcastle where the doorman was shot (Google maps)

A doorman at a Newcastle nightclub has been shot by an assailant who then escaped on a motorbike.

The apparent drive-by shooting occurred at 10.30pm when, according to witnesses, a black-clad motorcycle rider stopped their bike outside the Tup Tup Palace nightclub before opening fire.

The Chronicle reported that witnesses to the scene saw the doorman walk over to an ambulance with his black jacket pressed over the wound and a blood soaked shirt hanging from his trousers. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

One, who was out for a late-night bike ride, claimed that he saw “a black motorbike pull up outside” the building adjacent to the nightclub.

He said: “The rider was dressed all in black too. He was just past the kerb when there was a massive bang.”

Northumbria Police confirmed that the injured man, 24, was taken to hospital for treatment and that his condition was stable and not life-threatening.

The BBC claimed that a 17-year-old man has been held on suspicion of wounding with intent, although police told The Independent that they could not confirm that.

Superintendent Bruce Storey said in a statement: "We're carrying out enquiries to establish the circumstances of this incident and any particular motive, at the current time our enquiries so far lead us to believe there is not a risk to the wider members of the public.

"Extra patrols were quickly deployed to the city centre, both to deal with the incident and to offer reassurance to those who were in the city.

"We are doing everything we can to trace the motorbike and the person responsible for this shooting and would ask anyone with information to come forward and speak to us.

“If anyone saw a silver motorbike bike in the city centre around the time of this incident or saw it before or has seen it since then we want to hear from them."