At least two people have been injured in a shooting near a courthouse in western Germany, German police said on Wednesday.

Police said several shots were fired in the afternoon in a street near the regional court in the city of Bielefeld.

Police said in a statement that they could not rule out a link to the trial taking place in the courthouse.

Citing police sources, the German news agency dpa reported that three shots were fired during the attack, leaving one person with serious, life-threatening injuries.