Calls grow for tougher action on gun crime

The Government was facing mounting pressure last night to act decisively on gun crime as reports suggested that the number of offences had doubled since Labour came to power.

Today David Blunkett is expected to confirm plans, first reported in The Independent last month, for a minimum five-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. The Home Secretary is also said to be considering a ban on replica guns, which can be easily converted into working weapons.

As police in Birmingham continued to appeal for witnesses to the murder of two teenage girls, Mr Blunkett said officers faced an "impossible task" without co-operation from the local community.

Figures due to be published on Thursday are expected to show that gun crime has increased sharply under Labour and that an average of 22 firearms offences are committed in Britain every day.

Sir John Stevens, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, called for "drastic measures" to curb gun culture. "This culture of mindless violence, which has sprung partly from the increasing influence of Jamaican and American culture and the glorification of gang warfare, must be stopped," he said.

Yesterday a boy aged 16 was in a stable condition with a bullet wound to the stomach. Peter McPhee was attacked after two men pulled up in a car at a caravan site in Maryhill, Glasgow.

Meanwhile police investigating the murder of the two teenagers in Birmingham apparently caught in the crossfire of a gang fight vowed to catch the killers. Charlene Ellis, 18, and Latisha Shakespear, 17, had stepped outside a party at a hairdressing salonat 4am on Thursday when they were shot and killed. Yesterday police revealed that the older girl was hit in the head, while the younger one died of a chest wound.

Charlene's twin sister, Sophie, is under armed guard in hospital after surgery, while a fourth cousin, Cheryl Shaw, 17, was discharged after treatment for an injured hand.

Paul Scott-Lee, Chief Constable of the West Midlands, said the force had received an encouraging number of calls, but had yet to hear from everyone who had been at the party.

"This isn't a gangland killing, these are members of the public, young people who've been shot down while they were at a party just enjoying themselves. So I think that the community's response will be positive because this is not a gangland member shooting another gangland member."

He said he was very confident of catching the killers. "If you look back at the last two or three years, we have a very good track record of working with the community, not only to identify those responsible for these sorts of heinous crimes, but also bringing them to justice. What I would say is we will get there quicker if more people come forward and fill in the gaps in our information."

Anthony Gordon, leader of Partnership Against Crime, said: "Enough is enough. This cannot go on any more. This is not the black community's problem, it is everyone's problem. We need to get as many people involved as possible. Guns are still easily available on the streets of Birmingham and kids in some areas carry them in the same way as others carry mobile phones. This tragic event should make everyone who lives here sit bolt upright and say, 'We are going to work together to sort this out'."