The daughter of a Chigwell businessman has told police how she saw her father and cousin gunned down in a hail of bullets near the family's east London hotel.

The 26-year-old woman was with her father, Amarjit Singh, 52, and his nephew, Rajinder Singh, 35, when both were shot. Police believe the killings could be linked to a dispute over parking spaces.

Shortly before Amarjit (known as Mark), and Rajinder (known as Raj) were shot at 2.20pm on Friday, Amarjit's car was attacked and damaged by three men.

The car was parked in Atherton Mews, Forest Gate, which backs on to Forest View Hotel, one of several businesses owned by the victims.

Both men were married and each had two children. They lived with their families at a secluded, gated mansion in Chigwell. Police say Mr Singh's daughter remains "vulnerable", having witnessed the shootings, and have asked us not to identify the property.

District councillor Brian Sandler said the families had lived there for about five years. "They seem to be a very nice, quiet family, very polite, very courteous. They keep themselves to themselves," he said.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Ian Stevenson, from the Specialist Crime Directorate (east), told the Guardian: "It's obviously a devastating event for the family, in particular for Amarjit's daughter who witnessed the murders.

"She had followed them out, she was behind them but saw what happened and you can imagine the impact it has had on her. The gun was pointed at her but she went to ground quickly."

Mr Stevenson added: 'Whilst she's devastated about what has happened she's been very, very strong and has been able to give us a lot of information about the murders and the circumstances leading up to what happened. The person who pulled out the gun appears to have shot Amarjit and then shot Rajinder."

"A main line of inquiry is in relation to a parking dispute which happened a few minutes earlier. We're looking to see whether that was the catalyst for the murder, but it's one line of enquiry. We're keeping a completely open mind in relation to the motive."

Police are also investigating local issues regarding drug-taking and prostitution in the area.

Weapons experts believe the shots were fired from a rapid-firing machine pistol. Ten rounds have been recovered from the scene.

Three men, of Asian appearance, were seen running from the scene. One is aged between 20 and 25, 5ft10ins to 6ft tall with dark skin. He had untidy collar length black hair and a beard and was wearing a black jacket, possibly with a zipped front.

One of the other men was in his 20s, between 5ft 9ins and 5ft 10ins tall with short dark hair. He wore a light coloured top.

Anyone with any information should ring the incident room at Barking on 020 8345 1570 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.