ARMED police were last night patrolling the streets of a quiet market town hunting for two gunmen still on the loose 24 hours after a shooting shocked the area.

A 23-year-old man was shot in the abdomen at point blank range in the rugby club car park at Guisborough, east Cleveland, at about 6.30pm on Tuesday. He was under armed guard in hospital last night.

The victim, who has not been named, drove to the car park with a friend in a blue Ford Mondeo for a pre-arranged meeting with two men in a red Ford Sierra.

A row broke out and the victim was shot with a pistol while he sat in the car.

Police, who have 34 officers working on the case and are treating the incident as attempted murder, believe the shooting may have been pre-planned. The gunmen's Sierra was later burned out.

The victim, a single man from Guisborough, somehow managed to make his way to hospital and the alarm was raised.

Surgeons yesterday operated to remove a bullet lodged in the man's hip. The victim and his unharmed friend have been interviewed by police.

Detective Inspector Ian Garrett said drugs had not been ruled out as a motive for the crime but, after receiving a large amount of information, other promising leads were being followed.

He said: "We are keeping an open mind. We know the two men we are looking for and have no reason to suspect they have left the area. Our message to them is to give themselves up to police.

"We know who they are and are actively searching for them. We have got two callous individuals here. This was a very, very serious crime."

Det Insp Garrett added: "It is unusual for something like this to happen in a low-crime area like Guisborough."

Rugby club steward Arthur Bailey saw two men set fire to a car as he opened the club at about 6.45pm on Tuesday and called the police.

He said: "I've been inundated by calls about it today. People are actually distraught that something like that can happen here."

Pam Batts, clerk to Guisborough Town Council, said: "People have been saying it's a bit close for comfort that something like that can happen in Guisborough."

Police are appealing for anyone who was near the club between 6pm and 7pm to call Redcar CID on (01642) 302635