Video emerges of aftermath of freak accident at London crime scene

A hooded man shouts as he stands over over the body. Photo / Still from video

Shocking video has emerged of the moment a hooded man cradled his dying accomplice on a London street after he accidentally shot himself in an attack gone wrong.

The incident, in the south London suburb of Sydenham, occurred in broad daylight outside a branch of Lloyds Bank.

Police are investigating the incident but witnesses have described an altercation between two groups that ended when one man accidentally shot himself with a shotgun.

Video recorded by a local resident shows a masked man crouched over the victim, shouting: "He's shot himself - he's f***ing shot himself".

The man and two accomplices then flee the scene as a bystander calls police.

The Daily Mail reports that a local shopkeeper said: "A group of guys were sitting in a car by the bank and a big guy came up to them with a shotgun."

"They all got out of the car and ran so the guy decided to damage the car with the back of the gun.

"As he was hitting the windows the gun went off and he shot himself - that's what we've been told."

A hooded man crouches over the body of his accomplice. Photo / Still from video

Earlier reports suggested that the man might have been hit by a ricochet from the car, with a witness saying: "He came to shoot someone else, but he ended up shooting himself."

"The bullet bounced off a car window. You can see on the car window where the bullet bounced off it.

"After it happened, the boy he came to shoot stood there filming him."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and remains in custody at a south London police station."

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard said: 'We are still in the early stages of the investigation and our inquiries into how the man came to be fatally injured continue."

"However, one hypothesis is that the man unintentionally discharged a firearm resulting in his fatal injury."

Local MP Ellie Reeves tweeted that she as "shocked and saddened" by the death, writing: "My thoughts are with the victim and their family. This violence has no place in our community."

The man's death was one of three in the British capital in a 12 hour period yesterday, none of which is believed to be linked.