A man has opened fire on the Las Vegas Strip in front of the city's famous Bellagio hotel fountains.

A bystander was filming a live stream as the shooting took place, with footage showing the gunman appearing to pull out a pistol and start blasting.

The apparent gunman, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, could be heard firing seven times as shocked witnesses shouted: "Are you f***ing kidding me?"

Further clips from the scene show what appears to be injured people lying on the pavement and legions of police cars descending on the scene.

The live stream which had been underway when the shooting erupted was shared by YouTuber "Finny Da Legend".

The last shot of the stream appears to show a police officer picking up the camera - and the video has since been taken down.

Las Vegas police have locked down the area, with a social media post from the department declaring: "We are responding to a shooting in the 3600 block of S. Las Vegas Boulevard.

"The shooting did not occur inside a casino. Please avoid the area."

One local said online: "Active shooter situation on Las Vegas Strip. Heavy police and rescue on scene. Situation seems to be under control. No more shots fired."