Hackney shooting: Police officer suffers gunshot wound during anti-gang operation in east London

Police have confirmed a male officer has been shot and taken to hospital

(Oliver Baker, via Twitter)

A police officer has been shot during an anti-gang operation in north London.

The male officer suffered a gunshot wound during an "authorised firearms operation" by officers from the Specialist Firearms Command and Trident Area Crime Command at around 12.45pm on Thursday on Scriven Street, in Haggerston, according to the Metropolitan Police. He is in a "stable condition".

Police have detained a man in connection with the shooting.

Locals described “lots of police officers” and “loads of armed police” swarming the Hackney community shortly after the incident.

Kaner Korbay, who runs nearby dry cleaners Bree-Zee, said locals had heard the shooting happened after a police raid on a nearby home. “Apparently an undercover police officer was chasing them and one of the guys running away turned around and shot him.”

The local resident, who has lived in the area for 21 years, said he had “never seen anything like this.”

Kirit Shah, who runs nearby Haggerston Pharmacy, told The Independent: “I just heard a shot and very soon there were lots of police everywhere."

A worker at New Generation Nursery, which is down the road from the shooting, said staff and children had been told by police not to leave the area.

More to follow shortly