Terror in Mumbai as Brits trapped

British witnesses to the terror attacks in Mumbai today described their horror as gunmen apparently targeting them stormed their hotels.

Alan Jones, from South Wales, told how he "frantically" tried to escape the terrorists after they burst into the Oberoi Trident Hotel where he was staying.

Mr Jones said he was in a lift in the lobby when a man standing next to him was shot.

He was one of an unknown number of British nationals caught up in the raids and forced to shelter from the heavily-armed gunmen.

Mr Jones, in Mumbai on business, said he was with a colleague when the shooting began.

He said: "We took the lift to the lobby and heard bangs as the door opened. A Japanese man, one of four in the lift, was shot and wounded at that precise moment."

As the injured man slumped to the floor he obstructed the doors.

"I frantically pressed the 'close door' button, but had to move the shot man's foot for the door to close," Mr Jones said.

After pulling the wounded man back into the lift they headed to their rooms, but were told by staff to head to a "safe" room in the hotel basement.

"There we met many residents, but nowhere near all of them," he said.

He was later escorted away from the hotel to an office.

Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim said security forces fought gunmen "floor by floor and room by room" in an attempt to gain control of the Taj Mahal Palace.

Mr Karim was forced to flee to a "safe" basement after gunmen stormed the hotel yesterday.

He said: "I left the Taj at 5am this morning and was taken to a secure place.

"I was in a room that was completely sealed off but I could hear what was going on. (The Indian security forces) fought them floor by floor, and room by room."

Commenting on the situation now, the MEP said: "It is very, very quiet."

Alex Chamberlain, who works for a sports website, said the gunmen were hunting Britons and Americans.

He said: "They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans. My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero, don't say you are British'."

By David Burrows