One of the women suffered serious head injuries

The pair had accepted a lift home from three men after a night out.

The woman, from the Horfield area, and a 25-year-old woman from St Andrews, were both shot in the head in St George during a "pre-planned" shooting.

They were injured while in a silver Saab on Lyndale Road by someone who followed them in a BMW. The three men in the car fled after the shooting.

Both women were taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. The 22-year-old was then transferred to Frenchay Hospital.

Doctors say the next 48 hours are critical for her survival.

The 25-year-old woman may lose the sight in one eye.

Night out

A police spokesman said the two women had spent the evening with a group of four men at two nightclubs on Park Street.

Three of the men, along with the women, left the Cooler Bar at 3.30am when they got into a silver Saab convertible.

The car was then driven to St George and at some point on the journey the car's roof was pulled down.

As the car drove down Chalks Road a silver BMW started to follow and shots were fired at the car as it turned into Lyndale Road.

The three men fled the scene, leaving the women in the car. Another man, described as black, then drove the Saab to Trinity Road police station, left it, and ran off in the direction of Old Market.

Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Spicer of Avon and Somerset Police said: "We would also like to appeal to any late-night revellers who may have been in the area at the time, returning home from a night-out in the city.

"The Saab would certainly have been fairly distinctive because its roof was folded down during its journey from the nightclub."