A new gun crime task force is being launched by Croydon police and the council in the wake of a series of high profile incidents in the borough.

Detective Superintendent Fran Smith, has been drafted in to head the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and a new gun crime unit.

D Supt Smith said: “This will be an ongoing action plan until we eradicate gun crime in Croydon.”

The new unit will draw upon resources the council and the police already have at their disposal to try and tackle gun crime before it becomes as prevalent as other boroughs.

“We will be drawing on a lot of the resources we already have in place such as the Operation Aries team who not only tackle gang crime but try and divert those involved away from it and will be liasing with Trident officers."

According to Met crime statistics there were 36 incidents from April to June 2009 compared to 40 for the same period last year, a 10 per cent reduction.

Ricardo Cox, 20, of Mitcham Road, was killed in a drive-by shooting after being mistaken for a gang member on November 26 last year.

Marlon Worrell, 21, was shot in the face and blinded on the doorstep of a house in Grange Road, Thornton Heath, on April 16.

On July 8, a known gang member, Ashley Sheridan, was taken to hospital suffering from gunshot wounds after being shot in a fast food restaurant.

Two men burst into the kebab house and fired two rounds from a shotgun, one hitting Sheridan in the chest.

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