SURGEONS fought for almost 30 minutes to revive a policewoman after she was shot in the chest, a court heard.

Pc Sharon Beshenivsky, 38, was rushed unconscious and with no sign of a pulse to Bradford Royal Infirmary after being gunned down outside the Universal Express travel agency.

The court was told she had 'flopped' to the pavement in Morley Street in Bradford city centre after being blasted at close range during a botched robbery.

Ambulance staff carried out resuscitation techniques during the journey to the hospital and that was continued for a further 25 minutes by A&E staff.

Medics carried out an emergency operation, a thoracotomy, on Pc Beshenivsky's chest cavity. But after 25 minutes she was formally pronounced dead.

During an emotional hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, Pc Beshenivsky's colleague, Pc Teresa Milburn, 37 - who was also shot during the incident - said she had seen her friend collapse.

She said: "There was an almighty bang. I can see her head. It goes to the right, then to the left, and flops. Her arms flop to the side.

"Her body drops in front of me. Her knees go to the left and she goes straight down and collapses."

The jury heard yesterday how hospital staff tried desperately to resuscitate Pc Beshenivsky after she was rushed in on November 18 last year.

Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told the jury that after initial resuscitation techniques and intravenous drips failed to revive Pc Beshenivsky a surgical procedure was carried out.

He added: "A decision was made that she should undergo a form of exploratory operation to her chest cavity.

"There was a large amount of blood in the left side of her chest and damage to major blood vessels. Open cardiac massage was commenced.

"The situation was deemed to be irretrievable."

Yusuf Abdillh Jamma, 20, of Small Heath, Birmingham, Raza Ul-Haq Aslam, 25, of Kentish Town, north London, Faisal Razzaq, 25, and his brother Hassan, 26, both of Forest Gate, east London, all deny Pc Beshenivsky's murder.

Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah, 25, of no fixed address, has pleaded guilty to murder, but denies firing the fatal shot. He denies the attempted murder of Pc Milburn.

The case continues.