A dramatic escalation in gang violence leading to tit-for-tat shootings in Croydon sparks a massive armed police operation.

The operation was in response to a series of shootings in the last few weeks, the latest resulting in victim Marlon Worrell, 21, being blinded in both eyes after being shot in the face on his doorstep.

It is understood the gunman knocked on the door of a house in Grange Road, Thornton Heath, on Thursday, April 16, and, despite discovering Mr Worrell was not who the gunman was searching for, he shot him anyway to send a message to the original target.

Mr Worrell’s shooting was believed to be in retaliation for the shooting of a member of the Don’t Say Nothing (DSN) gang a week before.

It is understood members of rival street gangs began to arm themselves with guns rather than knives, following the murder of Ricardo Cox in November last year.

In a case of mistaken identity Mr Cox, who had nothing to do with gangs, was gunned down in an Los Angeles-style drive-by shooting as he walked home with his brother Oniel along Mitcham Road.

The gunmen were looking for members of the Byrd gang, another name for DSN.

The recent shootings led to some of the Metropolitan Police’s elite armed units patrolling the borough last Friday in a crackdown against gang members.

Officers from Operation Trident, armed officers from CO19, traffic police and the Territorial Support Group, along with Croydon’s own officers, fanned out across specific parts of the borough to target individuals either known to be part of a gang or known for incidents involving drugs and guns.

Armed with Heckler and Koch sub-machine guns and semi-automatic pistols, the officers were drafted in to swarm Croydon as part of Operation Neon. Automated Number Plate Readers were used to flag up known criminals, with stop and searches being supported by overt and covert teams.

Pool cars, known to be used by many gang members, were followed through the streets of Croydon and stopped once the order had been sent down from the command officer.

The heavy police presence was not only designed as a show of force, but it was also used to tell the residents of Croydon the police are still in control of the borough, a police officer said.

Operation Aries Sergeant Darrin Birmingham said: “Tonight is about showing those people in Croydon who are hellbent on hurting others and dealing with drugs that it will not be tolerated.”

As the operation got underway Sgt Birmingham stopped at a house of a known gang member and chatted with his mother.

The young man had recently been stabbed and Sgt Birmingham and his team were helping his mother to keep her son out of trouble.

Sgt Birmingham added: “This is not only about putting a stop to gangs in Croydon, it is about engaging with the community and engaging with the families of these young men, who are out there playing a big boy’s game.”

A Croydon Police spokesperson said: “Last Friday’s Operation Neon was part of ongoing tactics used in the borough and across London to disrupt criminal networks.

These operations are designed to provide a reassuring police presence and demonstrate police will not tolerate weapons being used or transported.

“This operation was successful in sending a clear message to those who carry firearms or weapons with them that Croydon is not somewhere weapons can be used or transported.

“The fact that no firearms were discovered is a reassuring sign that this kind of problem is not prolific or widespread.

“With increased transport networks, it is almost inevitable people will be coming into the borough, but we are not experiencing a disproportionate amount of incidents linked to this movement."

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