The gunman shot dead by police after a five-hour siege in Chelsea was named this morning as 32-year-old Mark Saunders.

Officers in body armour used stun grenades to storm the city barrister's £2.2million flat in Markham Square, which is just off the King's Road.

It was reported that Mr Saunders began firing from a window with a shotgun at about 5pm yesterday.

The lawyer was said to have been drinking heavily after an argument with his girlfriend or ex-partner, who fled the property in tears moments earlier.

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"He just kept shooting, cool as a cucumber," said one neighbour.

Shoppers and commuters ran for cover and neighbours in one of London's wealthiest areas were told to shut themselves in their bathrooms as Met firearms teams surrounded the Georgian terrace. Officers exchanged fire with him at least three times during the stand-off before he was hit.

Mr Saunders was found injured inside the ground-floor flat. He was carried out of the building on a stretcher and given emergency treatment in the street but died at the scene.

Full article here.