THE hunt for Britain’s most wanted man ended in dramatic fashion early today when gunman Raoul Moat was shot after a six-hour stand-off.

At about 1.30am Northumbria Police reported from Rothbury, Northumberland, that ‘‘a shot or shots have been fired and it is believed the suspect has a gunshot wound’’.

Moat had been on the run for a week after shooting his former girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, her new boyfriend, Chris Brown, and an unarmed police officer, PC David Rathband.

At 7.45pm last night police said a man who fitted the suspect’s description had been found in the river bank area of Rothbury and trained officers were negotiating with him.

That led to a sustained period of negotiation, during which time Moat pointed a sawn-off shotgun at his head and throat.

Just as it looked like the stand-off might be continuing into the new day, the shot rang out.

Speaking after Moat was detained Chief Superintendent Mark Dennett, of Northumbria Police, said: ‘‘Police discovered a man fitting the description of Raoul Thomas Moat at around 7pm near the riverbank in the vicinity of Rothbury.

‘‘When he was discovered he was armed. Expert negotiators were brought in to speak to him and spoke to him extensively for several hours.

‘‘We can confirm a shot or shots have been fired and it’s believed the suspect has a gunshot wound. He is currently receiving treatment.

‘‘No officers have been injured.

At this stage the circumstances have yet to be established.’’ The former doorman, who was released from Durham Prison on July 2 after serving a term for assault, had evaded police since the attack on Ms Stobbart and Mr Brown, last Saturday, in which Mr Brown was killed.

Moat, who had been told Mr Brown was a police officer, “declared war” on the police and, after calling 999 on Sunday morning threatening to shoot an officer, carried out his threat, blasting PC Rathband, 42, in his patrol car.

Moat went on the run and as a huge manhunt got under way, involving armed police from across the country, the town of Rothbury became the focus of attention.

Despite an unprecedented level of resources being targeted towards Moat’s apprehension, including the Army and the RAF, he was able to keep one step ahead of the police until last night.

A witness said Moat had been chased through the village and was heading east before being cornered at the primary school tennis courts and bowling green.

Residents were told to stay indoors for their own safety as scores of heavily armed police descended on the site.

Witnesses described how Moat was lying down pointing a sawn-off shotgun at himself while surrounded by police and negotiators.

One witness said Moat, who was wearing dark clothing, a baseball cap and white trainers, had his back to the river and police were about 20ft away from him.

The scene was only a couple of hundred yards upstream from where a Lexus car believed to have been used by Moat was found on Tuesday.

One woman said she had gone for a walk when she saw Moat, before being ushered into a house by police and told to stay inside.

She said he was wearing a baseball cap, a black jacket and jeans.

As the talks continued, Moat sat on a river bank cradling the shotgun and occasionally putting it to his head and neck. At times he lay down on the grass with the gun pointed at himself.

In an effort to help end the situation, officers brought in a close friend of Moat’s – named locally as Tony Laidler to try to persuade him to give himself up. A photograph later showed what appeared to be Moat lying face down on the grass wearing a grey hooded jumper.

Moat’s uncle told how he was watching “helplessly” as the drama unfolded.

Charles Alexander, 72, from Gateshead, said: “It is absolutely terrible. I just can’t believe it has come to this.

“I was praying he would hand himself in. Really, he had no chance because of the masses of police armed with powerful weapons.

“I am devastated and feel helpless. There is nothing Raoul can do. They have him there and there was no way he can get away.”

One of the Northumbria Police officers guarding the entrance to the village, who would not be named, said: “There’s a professional police negotiator down there speaking to him.

“The negotiator was part of the search teams.

“Giving him a drink of water is standard practice.

Putting the search lights on him is for our benefit.”