The charred remains of a car have been found after a man was gunned down in the street in a drive-by shooting outside a pub.

Police believe the car, a silver Ford Focus, had been used in the incident in which a 40-year-old man was shot twice in the chest and is now critically-ill in hospital.

Police found the car abandoned in Ackworth Street, West Bowling, hours after drinkers at the Ancient Foresters pub in High Street, Wibsey were left stunned by the shooting on Sunday night.

Witnesses said four shots had been fired when the car pulled up alongside the pub at about 9.45pm, and two of the bullets had hit the victim in the chest.

Bank holiday revellers poured out of the pub, many of them trying to help the injured man, and others phoning for an ambulance on their mobiles.

A police spokesman appealed for help in tracing the owner of the abandoned car, or anyone who may have seen it in recent days, in a bid to hunt down the attackers.

He said: "Police are keen to speak to anyone who may seen this vehicle, registration number YX03 DXT, in recent weeks as it may be connected to the shooting."

One drinker, who was inside the pub at the time, said someone had dashed in shouting that a man had been shot in the street outside.

The man, who declined to be identified, said: "People started piling outside and were talking into their mobiles trying to get an ambulance.

"I heard someone say that someone had pulled up in a car and taken two shots but the gun had jammed.

"Then they took two more shots which hit him on the left side of his rib cage. You could see the pain in his face."

The eyewitness said people rushed to the victim's aid, including a man believed to have been an off-duty paramedic.

An ambulance service spokesman said paramedics and a doctor treated the victim at the scene before he was transferred to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The eyewitness said there had been a fight centred on the pub on Saturday evening.

"By the pool table someone kicked off and people were throwing pool cues and glasses. The staff locked themselves in the back. The doormen managed to get a couple of them out."

Police sealed off the pub and High Street between Oakroyd Road and Fair Road yesterday.

Forensic specialists erected two tents at the scene of the shooting.

Glasses and bottles marked out by investigators remained on the pub window ledges and on the ground where drinkers had left them.

Local resident Mick Finglass was walking his dog near the pub soon after the shooting.

He said: "There was quite a hullabaloo. Maybe 70 to 80 people were milling around outside the pub.

"I could see the lad laying out on the wall outside the pub with the ambulance crew giving him first aid."

Fellow resident Graeme Hesselgrove said he had been watching television when he heard what sounded like fireworks going off.

"I couldn't say if they were gunshots. You can usually hear someone shouting on a night.

"We're newcomers. This incident does worry me a little."

Resident Anthony Thomas said; "It's normally fairly quiet. You do get a bit of bother, but it's no worse than anywhere."

The police spokesman added: "Anyone who has seen the vehicle or who has information about the incident is asked to contact Bradford Central CID on (01274) 37373315 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."