A Tube passenger sitting near Jean Charles de Menezes when he was shot dead told the inquest into his death today that the police who killed him were “out of control”.

Anna Dunwoodie said she was “very, very clear” in her mind that the officers did not shout “armed police” before opening fire as they have previously claimed..

Ms Dunwoodie also said she thought firearms officers were a gang, as she described a “sense of panic” from officers as Mr de Menezes was shot seven times in the head.

“Our first impulse was to call the police because we needed to tell the police something illegal had happened,” she told Southwark Cornoner’s Court which is sitting in special session at The Oval cricket ground.

Mr de Menezes, 27, a Brazilian electrician, was mistaken by police for a suicide bomber and shot dead on an Underground train at Stockwell, south London, on July 22 2005.

The previous day four terrorists had attempted to detonate suicide bombs on Tube trains and a London bus.

Ms Dunwoodie said it had been "a particularly strange day in London” and when the police ran onto the train shouting and brandishing guns she thought they were a gang.

She was adamant that she never heard police shout any warning at Mr de Menezes who was acting quite calmly.

“I would like to say that on whether I heard anything from police officers, I am very, very clear,” said Ms Dunwoodie.

“I had absolutely no idea who they were and had they shouted I would have latched on to that.”

Ms Dunwoodie, who was sitting two seats along from Mr de Menezes and reading a book, said there was panic on the carriage and she felt more frightened of the police officers than anyone else.

She added: “I think it was the man, who I now know to be a surveillance officer, [who] really seemed to be frightened or hyped up and when he was calling the other men they seemed... you know, when people are full of adrenalin and they move quickly and their movements are a bit jerky.

“I felt they were a bit out of control, that’s what it felt like.”

She added: “It was sort of a scrum. I remember the man holding the gun out. His [Mr de Menezes’s] eyes were closed and he looked almost calm, although I hesitate to say that.

“I guess he had a gun pressed to his head and there was not anything he could do about it. The first shots came very suddenly and my first thoughts were that it was someone firing a stun gun.

“There was a break and it was my memory that there were more shots.”

The inquest continues.

Times Recommends

• Donor organ allowed child’s own heart to heal
• Michael Jackson: Not the final chapter
• Brüno toned down for 15 rating