Politicians, police and community leaders are meeting to thrash-out a strategy to deal with the escalating problem of youth violence – as another young man is shot in the borough.

Lambeth Council has scheduled two meetings – a Community Leaders’ Forum, which took place yesterday and a summit on Monday.

Long-term solutions for gun and knife crime were due to be discussed at yesterday’s meeting and will be debated again on Monday with residents who have experience in helping young people to escape gangs, community leaders, MPs, members of the Safer Lambeth Partnership, which includes the council, police, and partner agencies.

Plans include training community leaders to connect with young people and families under the plans and it is hoped Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will approve a bid for £100,000 extra funding to help tackle gun and knife crime in the borough – a sum which will be matched by the council.

Amid a spike in youth violence the Prime Minister urged families to take more responsibility for the problem, while families affected by the murders said politicians need to do more – but there is a growing realisation the community needs to unite to fight the issue.

Councillor Steve Reed, leader of Lambeth Council which is hosting the meeting, said: “We share the horror that everyone else feels about these tragic deaths, especially of young people.

“We want, 100 per cent, to work with our community to protect young people’s lives.

“What we’re going to do is look at proposals to hand more control and resources to local communities so they can take action, in the spirit of the co-operative council.”

MP for Streatham, Chuka Umunna who is due to attend both meetings, depending on his commitments in Parliament, said: “We have issues around social care, youth services provision, around employment opportunities and because these things happening are multi faceted they require a joint approach and joint responsibility.”

Marie Hanson runs Storm, a support group for single mothers. She has had close contact with many mothers whose children have been victims of violent crime in Lambeth, and runs a youth club one day a week that aims to offer children an alternative to gangs and crime.

She said the key to eradicating violent crime was offering vulnerable teenagers opportunities and fostering better relations between police and youths.

She said: “It’s about empowering kids to get them off the streets and into employment.

“There are a lot of angry kids out there because there’s nothing for them.

“If they leave school and don’t go to college or aren’t in employment, you just leave people to get into trouble.

“The police are just arrest, arrest, arrest.

“They need to try and understand. We need to work with the community and build a relationship with the police.”

The meetings follow a series of violent murders and attempted murders, which form part of the front page image – which shows five-year-old Thusha Kamaleswaran, who may never walk again after being shot in Stockwell in March.

Rayond Mitchell, Ricardo Cunha, Isaiah Bovell, Soloman Sarfo, Nana Darko-Frempong and Alper Pasha have all been killed by gunmen.

The meetings come one year after Zac Olumegbon was stabbed outside Park Campus School, in West Norwood.

Five teenagers are due to stand trial for his murder in the Old Bailey from September 12.

A 20-year-old man was shot in Black Prince Road, Kennington at 12.50pm on Tuesday.

He is recovering.