Met unveils response to teenage shootings

2:50pm Thursday 15th February 2007

The Metropolitan Police's top officer has asked the Home Secretary to allow 17-year-olds to receive a minimum five-year sentence for gun crimes.

The announcement was made this afternoon following a meeting held by Sir Ian Blair in an attempt to address a wave of shootings involving young people in south London, including the killing of a 15-year-old boy in his own home in Clapham North yesterday.

The Met said they were hopeful that Sir Ian's request for the minimum age for a mandatory five-year prison sentence for possession of firearms to be reduced to 17 would be accepted by John Reid.

Sir Ian Blair also said a new temporary taskforce would be step up to co-ordinate the Met's response to violent crime involving young people.

The Commissioner ruled out regular patrols by armed police officers, but said that they would use intelligence-led armed interventions' codenamed Operation Neon - although the Met remained tight lipped this afternoon on exactly what that would entail.

Scotland Yard also said high visibility patrols would be increased in certain areas - but would not disclose which areas they would be.

The new taskforce will be led by Commander Paul Minton from the Territorial Policing Command.