Gun running at the age of eight

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Members of the Younger Woolwich Boyz make gun gestures in their YouTube video, used to recruit new members

Children as young as eight are carrying guns to help older gang members cheat justice, it has been claimed.

They are being forced to "pack weapons" because they are below the age of criminal responsibility, which starts at ten.

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The warning came from Peter Herbert, who works with an advisory group linked to Operation Trident, Scotland Yard's black-on-black gun crime unit.

The barrister said that the gun problem was "significantly worse" than portrayed by the media.

Other community leaders warned that Britain risked creating a new generation of "urban child soldiers".

Tony Blair, David Cameron and Sir Menzies Campbell all launched pledges to crack down on the violence yesterday.

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary John Reid brought together police chiefs and leaders of the black community at a "gun crime summit" in Downing Street.

Mr Herbert said: "There have been instances recorded of children as young as eight or nine being used by gangs to evade criminal responsibility they would otherwise have.

"It is happening in London. The anecdotal evidence is that very young children are already being drawn into running drugs and holding weapons for older people."

An appalling series of five murders in a fortnight in South London culminated in last week's shooting dead of 15-year-old Billy Cox at his home in Clapham.

Last year, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed how children as young as ten have appeared in court on gun charges.

Since April 2005, Operation Trident has charged 16 teenagers with murder, including one aged just 14.

Ten-year-olds have been arrested in Norfolk, Thames Valley, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

New measures proposed by Mr Blair and Mr Reid include making membership of a street gang an "aggravating" factor in sentencing young hoodlums.

Other initiatives include moves to ensure that those under the age of 21 caught with a gun automatically go to prison for five years.

Mr Blair is also set to enact new legislation to deter girlfriends or siblings from carrying guns for gang members. This will also result in a five-year minimum sentence.

New guidance issued to headmasters means they will be able to search pupils suspected of carrying weapons into school.

But Mr Herbert, a part-time judge and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said that the imposition of mandatory terms on younger offenders would only drive down the age of those carrying weapons.

Yesterday's summit included a meeting between police, community leaders and politicians at Downing Street before Mr Blair travelled north to visit a radio station and meet England football star Rio Ferdinand.

He said: "The biggest thing for the Government is how do we support the community in this, not the solutions coming from Whitehall."

But his efforts were dismissed as a glorified photo opportunity by the Tories, who pointed out that since 2000 Mr Blair has hosted no fewer than 23 summits including seven on law and order issues.

Despite the headline-grabbing initiatives, the number of firearms offences has doubled since 1998 to more than 11,000 a year last year.

Yesterday's summit backfired when community leaders said more gun crime laws were not needed.

The Rev Nims Obunge, of the churches group, Peace Alliance, said youngsters needed an "exit strategy" instead.

Tory leader Mr Cameron said creating a cultural shift which replaced gangs with family and community support was as important as a legal crackdown. He also criticised Labour's "topdown" approach.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said a Tory Government would introduce more powers for police to search for weapons and a dedicated border police force to combat firearm imports.

 

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