A CYCLIST has described how he thought his time was up as he stared down the barrel of a gun.

Graham Phillips' terrifying ordeal took place as he was riding along Hylton Road on Worcester's west side when he was stopped by a man brandishing a handgun.

"I was so shocked and surprised, I thought, 'this is it'," said Mr Phillips, of Hallow.

"He looked a bit strange and I just thought he was going to shoot me."

The unemployed 34-year-old, from Heath Close, was cycling along the towpath in pouring rain on Friday when the incident happened.

"It was raining really heavily and I was cycling along when I saw this guy on the towpath dressed in a T-shirt and shorts.

"I thought he was dressed a bit strangely, but thought nothing of it.

"As I approached him he pulled a gun from his left-hand-side with his right arm.

"He raised it diagonally across his body so I could see it."

Fearing for his life, Mr Phillips was forced to stop and instinctively raised his hands.

"I thought he was just going to shoot me there and then," he added.

"I had to stop and he said 'slow down.'

"After he spoke he relaxed and let me past but I thought he was going to shoot me in the back.

"I didn't want to ride off too fast because he had told me to slow down. I took it easy."

Mr Phillips went into BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester and told staff. Within minutes the police were alerted and a warning was sent out on the radio.

The gunman had first been spotted in Farrier Street at 1.30pm, and Mr Phillips' was one of two further sightings.

A man was later arrested in connection with the incident. He has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

A gun recovered by Worcester police was later described as an imitation.

"The police told me it was a very convincing fake," added Mr Phillips, "It looked very real indeed."