May 2, 2001 9:25: ARMED police stormed a Bromley tower block after a marksman opened fire on a group of workmen with a rifle.

Construction workers at the Bonnington Towers apartment block, in Turpington Lane, called police shortly after 9am to report a number of shots had been fired from an apartment window.

One of the workmen said: "Some of the lads heard a crack and then a few more. We weren't quite sure where they were coming from, but it might have been somewhere along the fourth floor."

Police closed access to Turpington Lane for almost an hour while armed officers carrying a battering ram and riot shields searched the building.

Police spokesman Sarah Goodall said: "When police arrived at the scene they found at least one of the shots had hit a blue Ford Mondeo parked nearby. Officers acting on intelligence then gained entry to a flat, but found no trace of the suspect or a weapon."

Investigators believe the sniper may have been using an air rifle.

Tony Hunter, an agent for Walker Construction which has been carrying out renovation work at the site for the last five weeks, said: "I did not hear the shots, but the foreman came to tell me someone was shooting from inside.

"He said he heard a shot and then the second shot smashed the passenger window of my car. Luckily I was on the other side of the building at the time."

A woman who emerged from the block of flats to walk her dog was oblivious to the activity around the building.

She said: "Colleagues from work phoned to check whether I was all right, because they heard rumours someone was shooting a shotgun in the area, but I did not know anything about it."

Police searched rubbish shutes and tips around the building, but found nothing.