Shots fired in The Mailbox

A gunman fired shots inside a trendy restaurant in Birmingham’s Mailbox as diners scrambled for their lives.

Shots were fired at the upmarket Cafe Lazeez restaurant before armed police raced to the scene.

One witness described up to 15 bullets being fired, but this could not be confirmed by police. About 40 diners spilled out of the restaurant in panic.

Two men, aged 25 and 40 and from the Birmingham area, have been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Part of the Mailbox was sealed off today for forensic tests. No-one is thought to have been injured in last night’s drama, which happened at around 9.45pm, inside a private room.

Chief Supt Malcolm Coall, of West Midlands Police, told a press conference today: “This was not a random attack. Ten to 15 people, mostly men, were in a private room.

“There were reports of shots fired. Police were on patrol in the area at the time and responded very quickly.” He said two men were arrested soon after the incident took place.

One customer at the Asian restaurant said: “Three or four blokes walked in and two minutes later at least 10 to 15 shots rang out. My instinct, obviously, was to run out of there.

“They walked out. Not only did they walk in cool as cucumbers, they walked out cool as cucumbers. But once they were out of the restaurant, they ran like rabbits.”