A taxi driver went on a shotgun rampage across Cumbria today, killing 12 people and wounding at least 25 before turning his weapon on himself.

Divorced father-of-two Derrick Bird, 52, shot several colleagues in Whitehaven, then drove his cab through the countryside of the Lake District blasting other victims apparently at random.

Following a frantic manhunt, police found his body 20 miles away in woods near the hamlet of Boot, in Eskdale, three and a half hours later.

Cumbria Police said there were 30 separate crime scenes and described the shootings as “truly exceptional”.

Three people were in a critical condition in hospital, sources said.

A North West Ambulance spokesman said they received 51 emergency calls in the hours Bird was on the rampage.

West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven declared a major incident, while the accident and emergency department at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle was on standby.

Detective Constable Stuart Hyde today said: “This has shocked the people of Cumbria and around the country to the core.

”Derrick Bird has been located near Boot at 1.40pm today and we believe he took his own life.”

Contrary to other media reports, Mr Bird's mother is not among the 12 people shot and is instead being supported by her family.

Police said that following the shootings in Whitehaven, the gunman fled south.

Police had warned people in the Whitehaven, Egremont, Seascale, Millom, Ravengrass, Broughton, Ambleside, Coniston and Hawkshead areas to stay indoors.

A gold command was set up in police headquarters in Penrith to manage the incident.

52-year-old Bird, of Rowrah, near Frizington abandoned his car - a dark grey/silver Citroen Picasso registration ND55 - in the Boot area.

The village had been locked down while police searched for the suspect but it was lifted after they found Mr Bird’s body.

DCC Hyde added: “Our focus now is to try and work out what has caused this and where Mr Bird has been over the last 24 hours and in particular the last few hours.

"I would plead to anyone who has seen him or has seen any of the incidents, please come forward, speak to us and help us piece together exactly was has happened in this very, very tragic set of circumstances.

”We have a number of crime scenes across the county which are being staffed by police officers, and I would ask people to show a little bit of restraint and respect in regard to those.

A police helpline number - 0800 0960095 - has been set up for concerned relatives of those involved in this incident.