Two murder suspects remain on the run after a company boss was shot dead during an attempted armed robbery in which his business was specifically targeted.

Akhtar Javeed was found fatally wounded in the street following the shooting at Direct Source 3 Ltd in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, West Midlands Police said.

The 56-year-old was the director at the soft drinks distributor, and died in hospital shortly after police were called to the scene by someone inside the warehouse in Rea Street South at 6.40pm on Wednesday.

The suspects, who were said to have been two masked men, remain at large and are believed to have used a getaway vehicle.

Superintendent Andy Parsons confirmed the alleged gunmen sought out Mr Javeed's business specifically.

He told reporters at the scene: "It's early stages of the investigation but at this moment in time we believe this was a targeted attack at Mr Javeed's premises and the purpose of that attack was a robbery.

"There were a number of staff members in the premises at the time. We are working with them this morning both in terms of trying to understand what they can offer in terms of evidence but also offering support because, as you can imagine, it was a hugely traumatic incident.

"We don't understand what was the motive of that attempted robbery. But everything we understand at this moment in time indicates it was very specifically aimed towards Mr Javeed's premises."

He said the type of firearm will be determined after forensic testing.

Mr Parsons added: "Officers and paramedics gave immediate first aid to assist Mr Javeed, who was rushed immediately to hospital where further medical assistance was provided.

"Tragically, however, Mr Javeed was pronounced dead a short time later. The thoughts are with the family of Mr Javeed."

A post-mortem examination has been arranged as part of the murder investigation.

Police remain at the crime scene, with roads cordoned off.

Detectives have asked witnesses to come forward and help identify the two suspects.

John Lamb, spokesman for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: "People are working away, hard, to keep businesses going, so it's awful when something like this happens, particularly in these tough times.

"Unfortunately it's getting more and more prevalent.

"Our condolences of course go out to him and his family, friends and employees."

Nafeesah Abid, the director of a nearby accountancy firm, said the mainly industrial area around Rea Street South was not busy shortly before the raid.

Ms Abid said: "My heart goes out to the family. I drove past in my car a few minutes before but I didn't see or hear anything. It's very sad, shocking and distressing."

Meanwhile, officers carried out a fingertip search outside the two-storey industrial unit, near the River Rea, and also took photographs of the scene of a room on the first floor of the warehouse.

Syed Abbas, 30, who lives at an east London property which Mr Javeed owned and lived in during part of the week, said his wife and children had the news broken to them last night.

Mr Abbas said: "Within 15 minutes of finding out his whole family went to Birmingham. They were crying and very upset."

It is understood that Mr Javeed's wife, two young children and grown up daughter lived in the two rooms at the front of property in West Ham.

"He used to work five days a week in Birmingham and he would come here at the weekend," said Mr Abbas of Pakistan-born Mr Javeed.

"He was a very nice man - it has come as a big shock."

Norman Khan, 28, a car salesman, told the Press Association he saw Mr Javeed lying in a pool of blood as paramedics battled to save his life.

He said: "I was hanging out with friends and we were outside sitting in the car and we saw a police car go past. After that we saw the ambulance come and then we saw armed police. We decided to go check and as we went down they were sealing off the place.

"We could see somebody on the floor, all the paramedics were there and the police were there.

"All his face was full of blood and there was blood on the floor. There were three guys standing there, I think they knew him. They said he had just been shot.

"The paramedics tried to resuscitate him... There were around two or three ambulances there.

"When he was in the ambulance they were trying to bring him back to life again.

"It was shocking. Earlier we had been joking about and stuff, but unknown to us somebody down the road was fighting for their life."