The Home Office has announced a three-point plan to tackle gun crime following a series of shootings in south-west London.

Two teenagers, Billy Cox from Clapham North and James Smartt-Ford from Streatham, were shot dead within two weeks of each other.

The announcement follows a gun crime summit chaired by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street yesterday attended by senior police officers, representatives from community groups and voluntary organisations.

The plan focuses on tough punishments for those who use people to look after weapons, improved technology for linking weapons to crimes and more money to community groups.

A new Parliamentary Order issued by the Home Secretary will make 18-20 year olds subject to a mandatory minimum five-year sentence in the same way as over 21s. A ban on the sale, manufacture and importation of realistic imitation guns will come into force later this year.

A new round of Government funding through The Connected Fund will make £500,000 available for voluntary groups. The fund has so far issued £1.25million to community organisations.

The Home Secretary also announced there would be a review of legislation on gangs, guns and knives. The review will look at what new powers might be needed to deal with gun supply problems and gang membership.

This April will see the introduction of a new offence to deal with people who use other people to mind their weapons - and a five-year sentence for offenders.

Home Secretary John Reid said: "Gun crime is thankfully very rare in this country but we are not complacent about the challenges we face in forcing home the message that carrying an illegal firearm is simply unacceptable.

"There is not a single, simple solution to keeping guns off our streets and our children out of harm's way. Contributions to this summit have made it clear that effective policing and tough penalties must go hand in hand with education, community action and the personal responsibility of young people themselves.

"I look forward to working with the police, communities and all the organisations here today, sharing a common objective: to stamp out the menace of guns from the streets of Britain."

  • What do you think? Will these measures stamp out gun crime?