UK is becoming a WAR ZONE as BLACK deaths increase

[Anthea]

Gangs in the escalating knife war on London streets are awarding POINTS for stabbings with bigger crimes leading to higher scores

Children as young as nine are said to be playing the sick game known as 'Scores'

Former gang member Chris Preddie said it is like moving up ranks in the military

Gang rivalry on social media is believed to be fuelling urban violence in London

Children as young as nine are playing a sick game called ‘Scores’ where they win points for stabbing people and committing crime, according to a former gang member.

The competition between rival gangs bidding to outdo each other by boasting of their gruesome handiwork on social media is believed to be a major factor fuelling the recent explosion in urban violence, particularly in London.

‘The bigger the crime the higher the points, the more and more you do something the more and more rep [reputation] you get, the more you get ranked up,’ said Chris Preddie, a former gang member who has been awarded the OBE for his work with young offenders.

He compared the system of gaining kudos to moving up through ranks in the military, adding: ‘If you’re a kid and you go up the ranks you become a leader. Now he’s controlling 15-20 kids, telling them what to do.’

An informal ‘tariff’ of crimes goes from low-level items such as invading a rival gang’s territory to stabbing someone and ultimately up to murder.

In a sadistic twist, more points are awarded if the knife is inserted all the way up to the hilt or if the victim is stabbed in the face or another area where a scar will be visible.

Mr Preddie said gang members send bragging messages on Snapchat or other social media to each other with videos of the violent acts accompanied by coded emojis signifying the particular crime.

‘It’s for everything you can think of from petty theft to phone-snatching to gang-related incidents,’ he said.

‘You don’t see the scores but you see them posing with the knives and with the big money… that’s part of the points system. It’s a systemised culture.’

Mr Preddie, 30, also blamed ‘Drill’ music for glamorising the violence.

The variant of gangster rap features masked performers rapping about drugs, shootings and stabbings.

He said social media had transformed gang culture beyond recognition since his own youth.

‘If a child in Slough has suddenly found out about Scores, he’s found it through YouTube,’ he said.

‘These Drill rappers have massive platforms to inform the minds of young people.’

He called on the big tech companies to police their output better, saying: ‘We’ve got to say to ourselves we’ve got an epidemic on our hands.

'We’ve got young people running around stabbing each other but how come Facebook and YouTube and Snapchat are allowing us to watch a young person dying on our streets? How come that video’s not been taken down?’

His comments came as Met Commissioner Cressida Dick sent 300 extra officers on to the streets of London this weekend to combat the violence which has seen murder rates higher than New York in February and March.

Some 56 murder investigations have been launched in the capital this year already.

Father-of-two Mr Preddie, who founded an organisation called Make Dreams Reality, said gang members had told him they felt they had no option but to join – even ‘year five primary school pupils as young as nine or ten.

‘They say, “I’d rather be in a gang than not in a gang. If I’m not in a gang it doesn’t matter, I’ll get killed anyway. If you’re under the age of 25 you’re automatically involved.” ’

He added: ‘You could be from Tottenham and you could be walking down Wood Green and a guy comes up to you – he’s not going to stop you and say, “sorry mate, are you part of the Tottenham gang?”

‘If he doesn’t recognise you, he’s just going to stab you. You’re collateral damage because of your area. How is it their fault where they live?

'When I was growing up in North London, if I had a beef with anyone [from South London] I would have to go to South London and physically see that person.

‘Now I can be in my area and cuss South London and put that on social media and within hours thousands of people will have seen it. How do you think that guy’s going to feel? – he’s going to have to respond.’

This can be via social media, or can in some cases may lead to a physical attack.

Mail on Sunday reporters found no shortage of videos posted on YouTube, apparently by gang members, boasting of stabbings or incursions into rival turfs, and often referring to the Scores system.

After bragging about committing a ‘splash’ [slang for stabbing or shooting] one man smirks: ‘What’s that – another point, lads?’

Google is now looking for experts on London slang in a bid to wipe out threatening gang videos from YouTube, The MoS has learned.

Last night, the US tech firm said it was recruiting people who could decipher the language used by British gang members which might be hiding threats of violence.

Videos hosted on YouTube are said to be one of the key forces glamorising gang culture in this country, including slickly edited music videos which feature singers boasting of stabbing enemies.

Many of these channels are ‘monetised’ by Google allowing the gang members featured to profit from advertising shown when the videos are viewed.

The Metropolitan Police have put together a database tracking more than 600 suspected gangsters that feature in 1,100 YouTube videos, many of them music videos.

YouTube has been asked to remove some of this content – but the web giant has refused more than a third of such requests.

A source within the company has however revealed that any video found to feature knives being ‘brandished’ will be taken down.

YouTube said: ‘We share the concern about the recent violence in London and obviously do not want YouTube used to provoke violence.

‘We work with the Metropolitan Police, The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, the Home Office, and community groups to gather intelligence so we can understand where a song lyric that might seem innocent without context is in fact a threat of violence.’

Facebook referred the MoS to its ‘community standards’, which state: ‘We prohibit the use of Facebook to facilitate or organise criminal activity… We also prohibit you from celebrating any crime.’

Snapchat declined to comment.

READ FULL FRIGHTENING ARTICLE

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... bings.html

[Anthea]

One of Britain's most senior judges warns of tougher knife crime punishments as he jails killer
for 26 years for stabbing an accountancy graduate to death during a 3am nightclub brawl

Jordan Ross knifed in the neck during a champagne fueled brawl in Manchester

Dorian Graham, 30, pulled out a flick knife during a large fight in a cocktail club

It is thought Mr Ross was targeted because of his Birmingham roots, court heard

Judge David Stockdale condemned Graham as a 'coward' as he jailed him for life

The QC added: 'There will be no sympathy for those who commit knife crime'

One of Britain's most senior judges has warned of tougher sentences for knife crime as he jailed a killer for 26 years for stabbing an accountancy graduate to death.

Victim Jordan Ross, 24, was knifed in the neck during a champagne fueled brawl in Manchester after he was targeted because of his Birmingham roots.

Dorian Graham, 30, had earlier sneaked a flick knife into the club but then produced pulled it out when a fire alarm sparked large-scale fighting at around 3am.

The court heard how men and women were throwing pint glasses, chairs and other furniture at each other during the melee inside Suburbia Cocktail club.

As staff attempted to evacuate the basement bar, Graham emerged from behind a wall and lunged at Mr Ross in a 'split second' unprovoked attack.

Graham, from Old Trafford, Manchester, then stabbed another man at random multiple times before leaving him for dead and fleeing the scene.

Mr Ross, from Handsworth, was seen clutching his neck before staggering out of the venue.

Full Article - Photos:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ments.html

[Anthea]

'We are living in a war zone'
Readers react to double stabbing at Croydon's Whitgift Centre

There have been calls for national service and curfews for under 18s but also for parents to do more to stop their children getting caught up in knife crime

Some have been shocked.

Sadly most, though, haven't been.

Another two stabbings in Croydon - this time inside the town's main shopping centre - have been greeted with a mixture of disgust and dismay.

So many youths are falling victim to knife crime that most residents are no longer surprised to see a police cordon. No longer surprised to read about another stabbing. Not even surprised that it should happen inside a shopping centre.

Our readers have been giving their reaction on Facebook to the double stabbing, with some suggesting what should be done to bring this epidemic under control.

Thomas Bowell would like to see national service brought back.

He wrote: "Our government has failed young people and society by cutting youth clubs, mental health services and police.

"Although what is really needed is a better, more joined up approach - more TARGETED stop & search and compulsory 16 to 18 national service, focusing more on skills and employment."

Oliver Mo'Brien believes parents needs to take more responsibility for their children's actions.

He wrote: "They need to start naming and shaming the parents who raise these monsters. Maybe it'll knock some responsibility into them.

"Or if the child joins a gang they're immediately put into foster care and the parents are banned from having children."

Margaret Hansen agreed that parents have to lead the fight.

She wrote: "It’s bloody ridiculous. Everyone spouts on about everyone else sorting the problem out! It starts at home and it should be as it was way back, it’s down to the parents. Fix your family, stop leaving it to everyone else."

It has been hoped that the planned transformation of the Whitgift Centre into a new Westfield super mall would have a positive impact on some of Croydon's issues but Paul Crockford is not convinced.

He wrote: "Instead of spending God knows how much money on a new Whitgift Centre, how about you invest that money in the youth? Offer them different directions and opportunities to stay away from just dossing around the street."

Chanel Whyte suggested children should be stopped from going out after a certain time.

She wrote: "Kids killing kids, [it] needs to stop. I think we should put a curfew on under 18s."

Some who no longer live in Croydon despaired at what is happening where they used to live.

Mandy McCartney wrote: "What is going on in my hometown? Since I've moved from there in 2010 things have seriously changed.

"People were friendly, neighbours were there for you.

"Even shopping in the town was nice and nightlife was good. Now it's a war zone with us mothers losing our children to knife and gun crimes. I'm glad I moved and would never move back. Mothers please know where your children are and keep them safe."

Perhaps the most common comment, though, has been that this wave of violence simply has to stop.

Katie Allen wrote: "It's heartbreaking! I worry about my boys every second. This HAS to stop!! As parents, we need to take control!"

https://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... rs-1429343

[Anthea]

Man dies after 'street fight' in Morden

A man has died following a serious assault in south-west London.

Police found the man collapsed on London Road, Morden, on 19 April. The 32-year-old was taken to hospital, where he died the next day.

The victim was involved in a street fight with a man before his death, police said. A post-mortem examination will be held later today.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday and remains in custody.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43850038

[Anthea]

Man, 20, dies in Finsbury Park stabbing

A 20-year-old man has been stabbed to death in north London.

Police were called to Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, just after 03:00 BST and found two men with stab wounds a short distance from each other.

Despite the efforts of medics, one was pronounced dead in nearby Roth Walk.

The second man, 21, was taken to hospital before being discharged. He was later arrested on suspicion of murder, possession of an offensive weapon and affray.

He remains in custody at a north London police station.
'Deeply saddened'

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "At this early stage it is believed both males had been involved in an altercation involving a number of other people in the area of Roth Walk prior to the emergency services being called."

The dead man has yet to be formally identified but his next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination is due to take place.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan posted online about the killing, saying he was "deeply saddened" by "another life unnecessarily lost to violent crime on our streets".

He said: "The Met Police are using extra City Hall resources to fight this scourge and to remove violent criminals and weapons from the streets."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43850041

[Anthea]

London killings: Why are they happening and what can be done?

Another day, another death. Another headline about someone being killed in London

On Monday, Tanesha Melbourne, 17, died in her mother's arms after being shot in Tottenham
On the Tuesday, 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor died after being shot in the face in Walthamstow
Wednesday saw Israel Ogunsola, 18, stabbed to death in Hackney
Three more names to add to the grim litany of fatalities in the capital
Three more bodies in the mortuary.

Why is it happening? The BBC asked those who are dealing with the consequences of the epidemic of violence for their insights.
Short presentational grey line

"The youth culture seems to be falling apart at the moment. Young people don't feel like they fit in with society and there doesn't seem to be a voice for young people so at the moment there's a bit of carnage. On the streets it seems to be feuds from social media, from gang rivalry, postcode wars. At the moment it seems to be an epidemic of violence between the young people and it's getting worse.

"It's a discussion and conversation we need to have, to address what's happening and think what the community is doing.

"What is it that young people are lacking - what can we do? what opportunities can we create for young people?

"They feel that this is the life they are accustomed to - but there is a lot more out there and we need to find out what will keep them motivated.

"Due to spending cuts there has been less policing, community centres are closing. There's been not money directed at the third sector for a while and with all these cuts and reductions we've got more young people falling out on to the streets.

"Young people argue on social media over nothing. A boyfriend or girlfriend is in a feud and it escalates and you get people getting involved in situations that didn't necessarily involve that young person first hand.

"Young males are coming from homes with no fathers, no male role models. Many are lacking love.

"At the moment there are a lot of parents trying to be their children's friends rather than being the authoritarian person in their lives. When it comes to the stage of trying to impose discipline it's too late and the young person is 15 and has learnt their own way of life.

"I've got to be honest - looking back at my mindset when I was 15 or 16 - nothing would have stopped me.

"Until you've either killed someone or it's you in that body bag you're just going to get a Youth Referral Order and you'll just carry on."

'You get the society you deserve'

Martin Griffiths is a consultant surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust in London.

"We've seen a real sea change over the past few years, with a significant increase in the number of people who have been injured, in the number of injuries sustained per person, and the severity of those injuries.

"The youth of many of the victims and the assailants is really, really concerning. Back in the 1980s, we looked at interpersonal injuries involving knives and guns as being relatively uncommon - a niche injury. Now it's our core work. Knife and gun injury is most of what we see. We're performing major lifesaving surgery on a daily basis.

"One of my military colleagues has described the situation as like being at Camp Bastion [in Afghanistan], which is really worrying to hear.

"And we routinely have children in our care. Thirteen, 14, 15-year-olds coming in with knife and gun wounds is a daily occurrence. We used to look after people in their 20s, now children in school uniforms are being admitted.

"Some kids are involved with gangs or in the drugs trade, but more often than not it is that young people with poor impulse control who've been put into difficult situations and who don't respond well to conflict.

"I think young people are easily swayed and the lack of positive role models, mentorship, and support for young people feeds into them being led down the wrong path.

"We've seen a normalisation in attitudes toward violence globally - and also we take offence about pretty much everything. If we look at people now - things escalate on social media now about absolutely nothing. People now, when placed in conflict situations, react in a much more expressive manner. And if people who are running countries react in that manner, it's a signal for everyone to react that way.

"Members of the public who are not involved in gangs or violence let these things pass without comment. You get the society you deserve. If you ignore violence and ignore offending as a member of the public, your society will change.

"We are all responsible for what is happening right now."

'Each community centre has a gang'

Patrick Boyce's son Jamel was aged 17 when he was stabbed in Clapham in 2016. He is now in a semi-vegetative state and will never recover his brain function.

"It's a new game for the teenagers; running into one area and stabbing or shooting someone in that area and then going back to their own area. Then someone from that area will go to the other area and stab or shoot someone else.

"The tragic thing is that those they're stabbing or shooting are just innocent people who accidentally live there.

"My son was attacked after he came from college. He got stabbed in his leg and stabbed in his heart. He knew the attacker; they used to go to the same college.

"My son didn't carry a knife and he wasn't in a gang, he was just going out on the Friday afternoon after college with his friends and he got into an argument with somebody. That guy decided he wanted to kill my son. Just like that.

"These kids come from dysfunctional families, often single parents with no father around and the mother might be working 14, 16 hours a day.

"They come home and there's nobody there, so the streets become their family. They find comfort in each each other. Schools are letting them down, families are letting them down. Then they perceive that being in a gang makes them stronger, that it makes them somebody. It's a negative path for any teenager to think that is the only future they might have.

"Social media does play a part but social media does not make a teenager pick up a knife and go out on the streets with it.

"I think it's good that cuts mean community centres are closing, otherwise community centres would have more murders. Each community centre has a gang and they are going to attack each other.

"We need to get these children into a position where they can see a future, an option rather than saying they are going to pick up a knife or gun and sell drugs. And it's all down to drugs, they're killing each other because they're selling drugs."

'It doesn't bode well for us this summer'

Ken Hinds is the chairman of Haringey's Independent Stop and Search Monitoring Group.

"Stop and search is playing into the hands of the violence. It needs to be used with caution or we are going to alienate the very community that is being affected disproportionately by this violence. We will alienate them into not giving intelligence to the police so they can actually find knives and guns on our streets.

"In the Haringey community what's happened now is that if you shoot me or one of my people, I am going to shoot one of your people.

"It doesn't bode well for us for this summer.

"I think we need a curfew in place for those aged 21 and under between 9pm and 7am to get a grip of what's going on across the hotspot areas, particularly in north London - the high-crime areas where the murders are happening.

"We ought to have some sort of respite and think outside the box. So if you've not got a good reason to be on the street and you're just hanging around, you should be in your home. What happens is that big groups hang about on the street or in McDonald's intimidating people. The police can't do much; if they move them on they group just goes elsewhere.

"Lots of people are not being guided, or they are being misguided. In these situations violence will happen."

'The policy of austerity'

Dr Anthony Gunter, a criminologist from the University of East London, has written a book Race, Gangs and Youth Violence.

"The young people I spoke to felt that the gang problem was a media invention, it didn't speak about the realities of their daily lives. They believed the causes of youth violence included bad parenting, lack of youth centres, poverty, the media and status.

"They also talked about the need to have 'back-up', and the protection that comes from moving in a big group of friends. To them their experiences in their neighbourhoods represented a place of constant risk and danger. Young men in particular had to be vigilant against the constant threat of violence and robbery.

"The government has made the fatal error of assuming that all violence among young people in cities is caused by gangs. But the evidence for that is extremely thin, and much of the data that does exist is distorted, London-centric, and contrived from unverified police intelligence sources and the opinions of a small group of justice professionals and senior police officers.

"The policy of austerity has had an especially large impact on those young people most affected by knife and gun violence. They no longer have access to the Educational Maintenance Allowance, Connexions Careers Service or housing benefits, and youth support services have been decimated. Those fortunate enough to get into university have seen tuition fees tripled, while maintenance grants for students from poorer backgrounds have been scrapped.

"The teenage years are associated with risky and problematic behaviours for everyone. But these behaviours are aggravated by poverty, inequality, school exclusions, mental illness and chaotic family circumstances. Rather than thinking of violence among young people solely as a crime problem, it should be considered a health risk, alongside drug use, smoking, drinking and unprotected sex.

Then it becomes clear: the way to respond to stabbing deaths among young people is to improve their life chances and opportunities, by investing in education, health and welfare services for all.

'It is entirely predictable'
Sir Peter Fahy

Sir Peter Fahy tackled violent crime during his time as Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. He has said the police service was "being cut in half" due to central government spending changes.

"There's a very strong link between young people excluded from school and those who end up as offenders, often violent offenders.

"When you look at the background of most of those convicted of violent crime - sadly it is entirely predictable.

"In certain districts where there is a high level of criminality, there's a high level of social deprivation.

"In this country it's very rare for a stranger to be shot or a shooting in a robbery situation, most of it is between people with some sort of criminal association or when you get young lads involved in street gangs when they fight across territory. You see people getting shot dead for the most stupid of reasons.

"It can only be cured by good local intelligence-led policing and working with faith groups, churches, schools and community groups."

Under the Conservative and coalition governments, the number of police officers has fallen by somewhere between 19,000 and 22,000.

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, said she was talking to the government about reconsidering future funding. In response, the Home Office said it was "undertaking a period of detailed engagement with policing partners and relevant experts".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43654831

[Anthea]

Knife crime left London hospital 'like a war zone'

US President Donald Trump has deplored London's knife crime, at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) meeting.

Lauding US gun rights, the president said he recently read that an unspecified London hospital was "like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds".

He also told the firearms lobby's conference in Dallas, Texas, that American gun rights were "under siege".

Mr Trump is due to visit the UK this summer, after previously cancelling a trip amid calls for mass protests.

"I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital right in the middle is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds," he said on Friday.

"They don't have guns. They have knives and instead there's blood all over the floors of this hospital.

"They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives, knives." He mimed a stabbing motion.

"London hasn't been used to that. They're getting used to it. It's pretty tough."

It is unclear where Mr Trump sourced his information. However, a lead London trauma surgeon recently told BBC Radio 4 his hospital was likened to an Afghan war zone. The interview was the basis for a Daily Mail article.

Dr Martin Griffiths recently told the BBC about treating stabbing victims "on a daily basis"

Dr Martin Griffiths, who works at the Royal London Hospital, blamed knife and gun violence as he said: "We're doing major life-saving cases on a daily basis.

"Some of my military colleagues have described their practice here as being similar to being at [Helmand province's former Camp] Bastion."

He added: "We routinely have children under our care, 13, 14, 15 years old are daily occurrences, knife and gun wounds."

"We're treating children in school uniforms for knife and gun injuries". One London trauma surgeon - Martin Griffiths @NHSBartsHealth, says his practice is like a war zone #r4today pic.twitter.com/rvL1PEF5ZM
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) April 5, 2018

It is not the first time Mr Trump has remarked on security in the UK capital.

Last year he criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan for his handling of terrorist attacks in the city.

The White House recently announced the US president would visit the UK on 13 July.

Mayor Khan said Mr Trump would find that Londoners hold their freedom of speech "very dear".

If he comes to London, President Trump will experience an open and diverse city that has always chosen unity over division and hope over fear. He will also no doubt see that Londoners hold their liberal values of freedom of speech very dear.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) April 26, 2018

It was Mr Trump's fourth address to the NRA and his second in office. The last president to do so was Ronald Reagan in 1983.

An estimated 80,000 people have attended this year's NRA convention in Dallas.

The lobby supported Mr Trump during his 2016 presidential election, spending over $11m (£8m) in advertisements for him, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

After a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 dead in February, Mr Trump said he would "fight" the NRA on gun control.

At the time, the president appeared to support raising the age limit of purchasing rifles, closing background check loopholes and confiscating firearms from mentally ill individuals.

The US president later said there was "not much political support".

Mr Trump instead pushed a proposal to provide firearms training to school employees.

His administration, however, has taken steps to ban bump stocks, which allow a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44007312

[Anthea]

Boy, 17, dies in south London street shooting

A 17-year-old black boy has died after he was found with a gunshot wound in south London, police have said.

Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was discovered in Warham Street, Southwark, after reports of a shooting in nearby Cooks Road, at about 18:05 BST on Saturday.

The teenager, described as a "good boy" by his mother, was given first aid by doctors and ambulance crews but was pronounced dead at 18:56.

No arrests have been made and the Met said inquiries are continuing.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Rhyhiem's mother Pretana Morgan told reporters on the estate: "I couldn't have asked for a better son.

"My son was a very handsome boy. He's got so much potential."

Ms Morgan, who is originally from Jamaica, said Rhyhiem was aspiring to be an architect and he was "trying to make a difference" by learning to work with children.

"My son's a good boy," she added.

Lacey Main paid tribute to her godson Rhyhiem, who she described as a talented rapper.

"Any loss of life is a loss. It doesn't matter where they come from. It doesn't matter what religion, what culture, what skin colour... a life is a life," she said.

Abigael Adeoye, 17, who lived in the same building as Rhyhiem, said they were best friends and she had known him since primary school.

"I was with him everyday. He was really bubbly

"He used to message me every day and say 'Abigael come and see me'. I should have told him to stay at home yesterday."
'Tragically killed'

Police tape surrounded much of the area around Aberfeldy House and officers remained at the scene on Sunday.

Witnesses told the BBC a number of shots were fired around the street including one that missed a woman and went through a window.

The Met is appealing for witnesses.

More than 60 people have been killed in the capital this year - about half were the result of stabbings.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said his thoughts go out to the "loved ones of the teenager who was tragically killed".

In a separate incident, a cyclist was shot at in Blenheim Grove in Peckham but the gunman missed hitting shop shutters at about 23:20 on Friday. Three men then made off on two mopeds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44021260

[Anthea]

Boys aged 13 and 15 shot in Wealdstone, north-west London

Two boys aged 13 and 15 have been shot in north-west London.

The 15-year-old was found wounded in Wealdstone High Street at about 13:15 BST.

Minutes later, paramedics alerted police officers to the 13-year-old, who had also been shot on the same road. They are both in hospital.

In a separate attack, a 22-year-old suffered non life-threatening wounds in a shooting in New Cross Road, Lewisham, at about 18:30.

Palmerston Road, just off Wealdstone High Street, was blocked off with police tape and manned by uniformed officers on Sunday evening.

The Met Police said the younger victim had suffered a shotgun pellet wound to the head.

Both boys suffered head injuries but neither was thought to be in a life-threatening condition, the force added.
Image copyright PA

A shopkeeper said the 13-year-old was "lucky to be alive" and they believed a bullet had grazed the back of his head.

"He was holding his head down. I could not see his face but could see his white T-shirt was proper covered in blood," he added.

Both incidents come after Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, 17, was shot dead in the street in Southwark on Friday evening while playing football.

The Met is treating it as a murder investigation and appealing for witnesses.

There have been no arrests in any of the cases.

Did you witness what happened? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

shot in south-east London amid weekend of bloodshed in capital

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44024948

[Anthea]

Gun violence on London's streets 'must stop'

The mother of a 17-year-old boy who was killed over the weekend has called for an end to violence on London's streets.

"Let my son be the last and be an example to everyone. Just let it stop," said Pretana Morgan, whose son Rhyhiem was shot in Southwark on Saturday.

The teenager was one of four people shot in the capital over the bank holiday weekend.

In Wealdstone, two boys, aged 13 and 15, suffered head injuries, and a 22-year-old was shot in Lewisham.

None of them has injuries which are considered to be life-threatening.

In the latest incident, a 43-year-old man was stabbed in Ealing after a dispute over a man's driving on a residential street.

Scotland Yard said the victim, who is in a stable condition in hospital, was believed to be attacked after questioning the driving of the suspect - who then drove away.

Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, who was found in Warham Street, Southwark, was reportedly shot while playing football with friends and died at the scene on Saturday evening.

Witnesses told the BBC a number of shots were fired, including one that missed a woman and went through a window.

No arrests have been made as part of the murder probe.

His mother, Pretana Morgan, said she "couldn't have asked for a better son". She said he was not in a gang and aspired to be an architect.

Southwark Borough Commander, Simon Messinger, said the violence had "rightly caused concern" and the "fast-paced" investigation was "progressing all the time".

He said additional officers would be on patrol for the rest of the weekend, supported by armed response officers on motorcycles, dog units and air support.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he refused "to accept that nothing can be done to stem the appalling rise of violent crime".

Rhyheim's death came less than 24 hours before two other teenage boys were shot in broad daylight - around Sunday lunchtime - on a street in north-west London.

A 13-year-old boy suffered a shotgun pellet wound to the head within minutes of another teenager, aged 15, also being injured in a gun attack. Both boys remain in hospital.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said they were investigating whether the incidents, which occurred at two separate locations on Wealdstone High Street, were linked.

In a separate attack, a 22-year-old suffered non life-threatening wounds in a shooting in New Cross Road, Lewisham, at about 18:30.

There have been no arrests in any of the cases.
Because everyone is far too afraid of the black gangs to be a witness

Around the UK, two men died in stabbings in Liverpool and Luton across the bank holiday weekend.

A 20-year-old man died after being stabbed in Liverpool city centre early on Sunday, while another victim, also aged 20, was killed in Bishopscote Road in Luton on Sunday evening.

Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: "Enough. Enough. My heart goes out to families grieving children and teenagers. So many shattered lives, families and communities."

'Glamorisation of violence'

Official statistics released in April showed the number of homicides in London had surged by 44% in the last year.

More than 60 people have been killed in the capital this year - of which about half were the result of stabbings.

A former Met Police Superintendent, Leroy Logan, said the "growing crisis" had seen "younger and younger people" being groomed by negative peer groups and gangs.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that education was the key to stopping young people buying into "the thug life and all the glamorisation of that sort of violent lifestyle".

Criminologist Anthony Gunter, from the University of East London, said the government didn't "have a real handle or understanding of what's going on and what to do about it".

Former gang member Darryl Laycock, who has been shot on three occasions and stabbed seven times, said he lost more than 30 of his friends to gun crime.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44026796

This is what London has become in 2018

People here are not afraid of ISIS

EVERYONE is terrified of black gangs

[Anthea]

Wealdstone shooting: Boy, 13, was 'innocent bystander'

A 13-year-old boy shot in north-west London was an innocent bystander, according to police.

The teenager was one of five people shot in the capital within 24 hours.

He was hit by shotgun pellets as he walked with his parents in Wealdstone High Street on Sunday.

Police believe two others were injured including a 15-year old boy who is in hospital with a head injury. A third victim was hit in the arm, but has not come forward.

The Met described the attack as "callous, reckless and brazen".

'Unsafe'

Wayne Bent, who was part of a group who helped treat the 13-year-old until an ambulance arrived, said: "There was lots of blood.

"The main area was the back of the head - it was just constantly bleeding."

The teenager was treated in hospital and has now been discharged.

Resident Jonathan Smith said he had "heard gunshots before" in the area.

He said: "I sometimes feel a little bit unsafe living around here. There's quite of lot of youths hanging around."

At the scene - Danny Shaw, Home Affairs correspondent

The only sign of the violence from the day before were spots of blood on the pavement near a branch of Specsavers, where the 13-year-old victim had fled after being hit by a stray shotgun pellet.

Detectives are still investigating the motive for the attack but one line of inquiry is a link to drugs.

Residents told me that dealers openly sell drugs in an alley off the High Road. They also pointed to the absence of facilities for young people - and the closure of Wealdstone police station.

It was shut as part of a Scotland Yard drive to save money and remains boarded up - a symbol, some say, of the lack of police presence in the area.

Officers from the Met's gang crime unit believe the missing man and the 15-year-old were the intended targets of the attack.

A 39-year-old man was arrested on Sunday and has been released under investigation.

Police are looking for two male suspects.

In separate attacks, 17-year-old Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was shot dead in Southwark on Friday and a 22-year-old suffered non life-threatening wounds in a shooting in New Cross Road, Lewisham, on Sunday.

Rhyhiem's mother, Pretana Morgan, has called for an end to the violence in London.

"Let my son be the last and be an example to everyone. Just let it stop," she said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "This violent crime in London and across our country is simply unacceptable. It cannot be tolerated."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44029055

[Anthea]

Police want to speak with this man about a Croydon fight which left five people in hospital

Metropolitan Police were called to a fight between a group of men in Surrey Street in the early hours of December 16 last year.

An number of weapons were used in the fight, including a pole, and a five men were left requiring hospital treatment.

Police want to speak with 18-year-old Jedaiah Param in connection with the fight.



Met officers and London Ambulance Service paramedics were called at about 3.45am to reports of a disturbance involving a number of people.

A 23-year-old man was treated for stab wounds to the leg and a 24-year-old man, who was found in Wandle Road, was treated for stab injuries to the chest.

A 20-year-old man found on Denmark Road was treated for a slash wound to the face.

A 23-year-old and a 19-year-old presented themselves at hospital where they were treated for a cut on the left hand and a stab wound to the right arm respectively.

The suspects used an array of weapons, and one suspect was armed with a pole, according to police. Officers involved were all believed to be in their late teens to early 20s.

So far, a 19-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the fight and released under investigation.

https://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/new ... on-1490520

[Anthea]

Two stabbed at Croydon’s Whitgift Centre

Two people were stabbed at Whitgift Shopping Centre this afternoon.

Police were called at 5.17pm to reports of a man being stabbed today (April 6).

A spokesman for the Met Police said the victims were a man who could have been in his teens or early twenties, and a 16-year-old boy.

London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance also attended the scene.

Both victims were taken to hospital.

Detectives from Croydon CID are investigating.

There has been no arrests at this stage.

A spokeswoman from London Ambulance Service said:

“We were called on Friday 6 April 2018 at 5.19pm to reports of a stabbing in Central Croydon.

“We sent multiple resources to the scene including ambulance crews and an incident response officer with the first of our medics arriving in under five minutes. London’s Air Ambulance was also dispatched.

“We treated two patients at the scene, and took them to hospital as a priority.”

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/1 ... e/?ref=nuo

[Anthea]

A knife arch in McDonald's has helped tackle youth crime in Croydon

A police initiative where a knife arch has been placed in a Croydon branch of McDonald's has been "very successful", according to the borough's most senior officer.

After placing the weapon detector inside the restaurant on North End in November, police in the borough brought it back to the branch for a second time the following month.

Along with the arch several police are located inside the store.

A similar arch has been located at East Croydon Station.

The arch was a temporary fixture aimed at discouraging young people from carrying knives - and, according to borough commander Jeff Boothe, it has worked. (Or was it the large policemen)

"When we first started putting up knife arches, we were going into schools and colleges and trying to persuade them of the benefits," he explained.

"Now, businesses and educational facilities are coming to us and saying they would really like to work with us on something similar.

"The knife arch is great because it's much more emotive than stop and search.

"And seeing one somewhere such as McDonald's, which is very public, provokes discussion and gets people talking.

"It gets people to actually engage with the issue rather than walking around it."

During the knife arch placements at the fast food outlet, all customers except those with young children were invited to use the arch, but using it was not compulsory to get in.

Some readers said this would do nothing to deter those carrying knives, as they simply wouldn't walk through it.

But Chief Superintendent Boothe believes that young people seeing police officers in McDonald's was also hugely valuable.

"If a young person's only experience of seeing a police officer is when they are being stopped and searched or when they are being arrested, then they are only going to see us in this capacity," he said.

"This does nothing to bridge the gap between young people and the police.

"They need to see us doing more proactive activities rather than just as reactive because policing is not only about law enforcement - it is also about instilling confidence in people.

"It's important for young people to see us as human beings as well as officers - for example, when I go into schools I sometimes go in my own clothes.

"It's about breaking down these barriers between young people and the police."

Chief Superintendent Boothe outlined how Croydon's knife crime problem can be solved - bit late for that

Chief Supt Boothe said it was "very likely" that more knife arch pop-ups would be taking place in the future - as well as more question and answer sessions on knife crime like the one held in the Whitgift Centre on Monday afternoon (February 12).

The session, which saw nine officers answering questions from people of all ages, was laid on as part of the ongoing multi-agency youth progress plan - which sees police working with Croydon Council, schools, community groups and Croydon BID, as well as directly with young people.

"It's important that people know they can approach us," Chief Supt Boothe added.

"I am confident that by talking to young people directly and working with these other groups, we are heading in the right direction to tackling the root causes of knife crime."

[Anthea]

Two men arrested after 'serious' assault in West Norwood

Two men have been arrested following a "serious" assault in West Norwood this morning.

Police were called just before 8.30am to reports of an assault in Norwood High Street.

Upon arrival they found a man in his 30s suffering from a head injury. He was then taken to a south London hospital.

The condition of the man is not yet known.

Two men were later arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

They have been taken to a south London police station where they remain in custody.

This is an all black area and violent attacks on local business happen daily