THREE children who stood just feet from an armed gunman as he tried to carjack a luxury Jaguar this afternoon have spoken about their terrifying experience.

The trio, who are all aged between ten and 12, had been making their way to the Odeon South Woodford to watch action film GI Joe when they found themselves in the middle of a genuine drama.

The children are now some of the police's main witnesses to the attack, which unfolded at 2.30pm this afternoon in a car park in George Lane behind the High Road Land Rover/Jaguar dealership.

A 40-year-old man was arrested in Chingford an hour later after a frantic search by armed officers and a police helicopter.

One of the children, a pupil at Valentine's High School, said: "We were coming back from Sainsbury's because we had bought a drink when we saw this man pointing a pistol at this car.

"It was all very quiet and at first we weren't sure if it was a gun.

"I saw the man inside the car get out and walk away slowly. He looked very shocked.

"I moved back because I didn't want to get shot but I still saw everything.

"The man with the gun got in the car, but he couldn't get the car to start.

"We just stood there we didn't want to get close.

"He came out and stared right at me. That was the worse bit. It was really scary.

"He jumped over the wall, then leaned back to pick up his bag. He stacked it [fell over] but he got up and then he went running off towards the High Road."

Another of the boys, who lives in Waltham Forest, said: "My heart was pounding so much. I was so scared. We tried to stay away because we didn't want to get shot."

The third boy said: "I wasn't scared, the others were because they're younger.

"It didn't seem real. There was no screaming or sounds and everything was very quiet."

The police are currently dusting the car, a dark silver XL Jaguar, for fingerprints and interviewing the witnesses.