British boy arrested for possessing gun

A boy, thought to be the youngest child ever arrested by London police for having a gun, pleaded guilty in court yesterday to possession of a firearm, silencer and ammunition.

The boy, who is too young to be named, was 13 when he was arrested in August after officers raided his family's home in Lewisham as part of an investigation into south London gangs.

Officers found a machete in the child's bedroom before a Baikal automatic pistol was discovered in a rucksack in the basement of the house.

Two silencers and ammunition were found nearby.

The child, who is now 14, told police he had been storing the gun for an older gang member since mid-July.

"This is an extremely sad and deeply concerning case, no matter what the outcome had been," said Detective Chief Inspector Peter Beyer.

"As a proactive unit, we are committed to targeting anyone thought to be in possession of firearms, however not one of my officers wants to come across a child in possession of a live gun."

So far this year, 28 teenagers have died violently on the streets of London amid growing concern about gang crime.

While official figures indicate that violent incidents are falling, criminologists note the age of the victims and offenders is also falling.