A young child lies critically ill in a London hospital after being shot in Stockwell London.

Police and London Ambulance Services were called to reports of gunfire where it was reported they found a young child and an adult suffering from gun-shot wounds.

The incident happened which happened on Stockwell Road is believed at this stage to be gang related and the child aged five from North London  is thought to have been caught in the crossfire.

The assailants made off on foot and parts of Stockwell have been cordoned off to the public and the traffic.

These shocking events happened on the eve of a major crack-down on gang culture in London. Dawn raids this morning as part of Operation Connect resulted in 21 males aged 15 to 35 years of age being arrested for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Police seized £10,000, drugs and various paraphernalia such as scales, multiple mobile phones and jewellery.

Speaking of the incident, Daniel who lives in Stockwell said: “I can’t believe this has happened here. I’ve only just moved to the area and this has happened right on my door-step.”

Following the shooting in Stockwell Road a Police Officer said: “Despite this being a shocking incident I’m confident that this kind of crime  is isolated. I refuse to let this kind of crime affect my faith in the public and the community at large. The vast majority of people I’ve met who live in this area are descent, kind, law abiding people.”

Online Editor Matthew Hinchliffe

Police are refusing to rule out a link between a spate of teenage stabbings that last night resulted in the death of a seventeen year old in Walthamstow, east London.

Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance services were called to the scene following an altercation between youths at approximately 10.30pm in Walthamstow high-street. They found a seventeen year old suffering from stab wounds. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Commuters heading to work found much of the high-street cordoned off this morning which remained throughout the day as police forensic teams meticulously scoured the streets for evidence.

It is hoped that the relatively cold weather spell and the speed in-which police teams arrived on the scene will lead to some quick arrests.

A local policeman said: “We have been inundated with enquires from the general public but at this time I cannot release any more information.”

It is however believed from local sources that the deceased is in-fact a local youth of around seventeen years of age however local reporters have been met with a wall of silence from local people. To date there has been no-further information released to the press.