Tributes have been paid to Donnie McKinnon who was killed in St Lucia (Picture: Facebook)

A British estate manager has been shot dead and his photographer friend left injured after masked gunmen opened fire at a bar in St Lucia.

Donnie McKinnon was killed in the alleged attack in the town of Soufriere yesterday afternoon. His friend Peter Jackson, a 72-year-old photographer from Accrington, was injured.

The victims – who both live in St Lucia – were on the balcony of Steve’s Bar on Market Road when the masked gunmen approached and fired shots, it has been claimed.

Peter Jackson, 72, from Accrington, was also injured in the attack (Picture: Facebook)

Police at the scene where Mr McKinnon was shot dead (Picture: St Lucia Times)

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Scottish Mr McKinnon was the manager of the Soufriere Estate on the island, a 2,000 acre former working plantation.

Mr Jackson, from Lancashire, who has been living on the Caribbean island for over 30 years, was injured in the alleged attack and taken to St. Jude Hospital.

He is a well-known community activist and former director of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation. 

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Both men are citizens of the island, with one person telling St Lucia Times: ‘Everyone knew them. They were community people. This is sad.’

A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are urgently seeking more information from the government in St Lucia about an incident which took place yesterday.’

A spokesman from the local council said: ‘The authorities are investigating a shooting incident which took place in Soufriere on Saturday afternoon which left one man dead and another nursing injuries at the hospital.’

A police spokesman said: ‘We are looking into this shooting which we were called to during the course of today.

‘We are speaking to people who were been present and may have seen something.

‘We will leave no stone unturned as we investigate this fully. We will be releasing a statement shortly.’

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The gunman is said to have opened fire after the two Brits were seen drinking on the balcony of the bar.