Two suspects have been arrested after a man was shot on a Pembroke street in broad daylight on Saturday.

Armed Police rushed to the scene on The Glebe Road after the incident at 4 p.m., which happened as children played nearby.

The 21-year-old victim, from Pembroke, ran into a nearby house shouting "help me, I've been shot" and dropped to the ground. Then a private car arrived and rushed him off to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. He'd suffered gun shot wounds to his upper torso, and was recovering yesterday on a general ward after surgery.

The hospital was put on "lockdown" for three hours after he was admitted, with visitors cleared from the wards and guards on every door.

Meanwhile, a 29-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, both from Pembroke, have been arrested and remained in Police custody yesterday afternoon.

Detectives cordoned off a 50-metre stretch of the road near the Yardie Kitchen restaurant after the shooting. The cordon was later lifted, but officers continued to conduct inquiries in the area yesterday and patrols of the neighbourhood were stepped up. More than 30 officers from the Serious Crime Unit and Police Support Unit are involved in the investigation.

The man heading the inquiry, Acting Chief Inspector Calvin Smith, told a press conference: "We are particularly interested in speaking with anyone that may have been in the area of Glebe Road and Yardie Kitchen between 12 noon and 4 p.m. Saturday, no matter how insignificant you may believe the information to be."

He refused to give information about the circumstances of the shooting and the suspected motive. Pressed on whether it resulted from a gang dispute, he replied: "There's information that's come in to the Police. We're going to continue to investigate all lines of inquiry but it's too early for that specific question."

He did acknowledge there may be reprisals though, saying: "There is intelligence that may suggest that. However, we have adequate resources in place to address those types of situations."

Three women who live nearby on The Glebe Road told this newspaper children were playing on the street at the time of the shooting.

The first they knew of it was when they heard the Police sirens. A 45-year-old woman said: "There were some boys outside playing at the time. Nothing like this has happened here before. This has got too close for comfort with all the small kids around."

Another lady, aged 68, said: "It's usually a quiet neighbourhood but it's Halloween, so anything could go on." But she said she still felt safe, adding: "I'm not leaving. I've lived around here for 45 years and I ain't letting that drive me out."

Her friend, aged 53, said: "It's scary but we're living in the final days so anything can happen. The town kids can't go to the country and the country kids can't go to town. That's likely what it was about. But they're all related. They went to school with each other. It's all about drugs. It's the last days, the Bible prophesies, so it's not surprising."

The ladies did not wish to give their names.

A trio of young boys, aged 12, 11 and ten, told The Royal Gazette they'd been playing football on the street Saturday afternoon, although they were inside a house when the shooting happened. Speaking as they watched the armed officers patrol the neighbourhood, the 12-year-old remarked: "I was lucky that it wasn't me." His 11-year-old friend agreed, commenting: "It was close to my house."

Anyone with information on the shooting should call Acting Chief Inspector Calvin Smith at the Serious Crime Unit on 295-001. Alternatively, call the confidential Crime Stoppers hot line on 1-800-8477 or submit an anonymous tip via the Crime Stoppers Bermuda website www.crimestoppers.bm.

• The Glebe Road incident was not the only one that caused a firearms scare over the Halloween weekend. Gunshots were also reported in the Jones Village / Khyber Heights Lane area of Warwick around 8. 30 p.m. on Saturday.

A Police spokesman said: "Officers attended the scene a short time later and made a thorough search of the vicinity. However, after completing the search and speaking with area residents, nothing was found to substantiate the gunshot reports. Inquiries into this incident are underway."