A 35-year-old man has been shot in the leg by car thieves.

Two guns were fired in the incident in Hockley in Birmingham.

The injured man, from Handsworth, is recovering in hospital.

Police recovered the stolen car which was later found abandoned.

Shots fired

The victim had parked outside Sammy's takeaway shop in Lodge Road at 0250 BST on Sunday.

He was approached by two hooded men wearing bandanas who pointed guns at him and demanded the keys to his car, a Subaru Impreza.

Police say a struggle followed and both guns were fired.

A third man came to the aid of the two car thieves and all three left in the Subaru.

Car abandoned

It was followed by a white BMW.

The stolen car was later found abandoned in Victoria Park Road in Smethwick.

Last week West Midlands Police announced an initiative to reduce gun crime in the region.

Armed police officers are being moved to targeted locations as part of Operation Ventara which focuses on armed robberies and gang-related shootings.

It follows a rise in the number of incidents involving guns from 125 last year to more than 50 already this year.