Brave Betty keeps on filming as bullets fly

Members of a county arts group found themselves at the centre of a real-life drama when they stumbled across an armed bank raid during a visit to Paris.

And while everyone else ran for cover as gunshots were fired and a car was bombed, plucky Elizabeth Meredith took a video and a photograph of the scene which was used by French police as part of their inquiry.

"It was my instant reaction, even though our tour guide was screaming at me to get off the street," said the 76-year-old, of Ashford Carbonell.

Mrs Meredith and members of the Ludlow and District Theatre and Arts Group were on a four-day cultural trip to the French capital.

They were walking past the Bred bank in the Bercy Village area of the city last Saturday afternoon when it was attacked by four raiders.

Mrs Meredith, who is known as Betty, said a white car crashed into the building before four men on motorbikes arrived on the scene.

One smashed the car windscreen and threw an explosive inside, setting it on fire.

She said six gunshots were fired into the air and two men ran into the bank while two others stayed by the bike.

The gang made off with a large metal container believed to come from a cashpoint.

Mrs Meredith said the whole incident was over in a matter of seconds and she stood by filming it.

The raid was witnessed by 17 members of the 50-strong Shropshire group who had just stepped off the Metro on their way back to their hotel following a lunch and cruise along the River Seine.

Mrs Meredith said: "Everyone was taking cover but I stayed on the pavement and tried to take some pictures.

"The police borrowed my camera for a few hours to look at the video I took. They said it had been very useful.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before. We go on three excursions a year as a group and they have always gone well in the past."