Cumbria: The eyewitnesses who crossed gunman's path

EYEWITNESSES described their horror as they fled the gunman's path and watched bodies litter the streets.

Cumbria killings: Full coverage

Shaken members of the public reported seeing the killer peering from behind the smashed windscreen of his car, his shotgun poking out through the broken window.

Others described the aftermath of his attack, with victims lying dead where they were shot - their faces covered with blankets.

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Alan Hannah, 68, of Great Broughton, Cumbria, described what saw in Whitehaven.

He told the Whitehaven News: "As I turned past the police station, I saw all these officers running out and realised something major was going on so I moved over to the right-hand lane.

"Then a car pulled up on the left, stopping at the lights.

"I saw a man with a large shotgun and his windscreen was smashed. I drove through the red light to get into Lowther Street and get out of the way. I got home safely but was very shaken."

Others said they saw the gunman - named by police as 52-year-old self-employed taxi driver Derrick Bird - as he made his way along his deadly road trip.

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Glenda Pears, who runs L&G Taxis, knew Mr Bird and was close to the location of the initial shooting.

She said a female taxi driver working for her had to swerve to avoid Mr Bird's car immediately after the incident.

She said: "He was driving and she saw the gun. She was hysterical and had to pull over and stop. The gun was hanging out of the window."

Ms Pears added: "We are just numb at the moment. We just want to know what he's done it for."

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The first shooting took place on Duke Street, Whitehaven, close to where Helen Owens works at solicitors' Brockbank, Cain and Hall.

Ms Owens said: "One of our secretaries was out at the time and she saw a guy lying dead on the ground covered with a sheet - she saw his trainers sticking out.

It was a similar scene elsewhere along the killer's route.

A woman who lives in nearby Egremont said she saw a body lying on a road bridge in the town.

The resident, who did not want to be named, said: "One of them is lying down on the bridge.

"We suspect it's a man but the body is covered up now.

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"It was about 11.15 and we heard this bang. I looked up and there was a couple of cars on the bridge so we just thought it had been a collision.

"It was only when a neighbour came and said 'someone has been shot' that I heard."

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