A WOMAN has described how she froze in fear when she heard a man scream for help outside her home after he was shot in the groin.

Margaret Hunt spoke as police – including armed officers – launched a hunt for the gunman, who is also thought to have blasted a second man in the arm.

The victims are both in their 20s and were shot in South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, on Bank Holiday Monday night.

Yesterday, the bloody handprints of the badly-wounded man were still visible on Mrs Hunt’s white yard gate, marking his desperate attempt to summon help.

And the remains of a large pool of blood nearby marked where he lay as paramedics treated him.

The man underwent an emergency operation at the University Hospital of North Durham where he is due to undergo a further operation to remove the bullet from his groin.

His condition was last night described as “stable and not life-threatening”.

Nearly two hours after the first man was admitted, a second man attended the same hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm. Both men are from the Stanley area and are known to police.

No shots were heard and police are still trying to determine why and where the shootings took place – as well as track down the gunman.

Mrs Hunt, of Lime Street, South Moor, told The Northern Echo that she was too scared to let the injured man into her house.

She dialled 999 and police arrived minutes later to find him bleeding heavily from a wound to his groin.

“The first I knew anything had happened, I heard shouting at my gate,” said Mrs Hunt.

“It was a man screaming for help and asking for someone to get an ambulance. He said he had been shot.

“The next thing he was banging on my door and smashed a window panel. I was petrified and immediately called 999.”

Neighbour Mark Ferry said: “I was watching a John Wayne movie when my wife said there were policemen outside.

“I saw two policemen on the bank opposite my house bending over a man. It looked as though he was bleeding quite badly. The next thing, several police cars and an ambulance arrived.”

Officers cordoned off several streets, including Lime Street, where blood trails were found.

Detective Superintendent Ken Donnelley, who is leading the investigation, said inquiries were ongoing and the streets would remain cordoned off.

An air search was also carried out in the early hours of yesterday, using a heat-seeking camera to check whether there were any further victims.

More checks are being carried out on CCTV footage. Det Supt Donnelley said: “The reasons for the shootings and who carried them out are under investigation.

There will be people out there who know what has gone on – and why – and I would urge them to call us.

“I would also like to hear from anyone who was in South Moor, including Lime Street and its neighbouring streets, who may have heard any gunshots before and about 10pm on Monday.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 0345-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.