Boy, 13, becomes 'youngest person ever' charged with possessing a gun

Police found the 9mm Baikal hidden under the stairs in his house with two silencers and a bag of up to 20 cartridge.

Senior officers believe he is one of the youngest people ever to be caught with a gun.

Gun crime: Police are questioning a 13-year-old schoolboy

Forensic tests are now being carried out to establish whether the weapon has been used in any shootings.

The 13-year-old was arrested at his home in New Cross, south-east London at 2.30pm by officers investigating criminal gangs.

He is currently in custody at Lewisham Police Station, where he has been charged with firearm offences.

A Baikal gun was used to kill James Andre Smartt-Ford, 16, at Streatham Ice Arena in south-west London in February last year.

Philip Poru, 18, was also reportedly shot dead with a Baikal while sitting in his car with a friend in Plumstead, south-east London, last October.

The alarming arrest and the murder last week of innocent bystander Ryan Bravo, 18, who was fatally shot in the back at a convenience store in Walworth, south-east London, will fuel fears of a resurgence in gun violence.

One source said the discovery and arrest highlights the falling ages of those involved in gang violence.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Beyer, head of the central task force at Scotland Yard, said: 'It is deeply concerning that we have a found a child of this age with a weapon that we believe is capable of firing.

'Whilst the number of shootings has been reducing, today's arrest just demonstrates that we are not complacent.

'We will continue to target anyone who is under the misapprehension that carrying a gun is a good idea.

'It isn't - it puts the carrier more at risk of death, injury or arrest.

'Having a gun, even if it isn't used in a shooting or crime, is being dealt with incredibly seriously by the Met Police.'

James Smartt-Ford who was murdered at Streatham Ice Rink on February 3, 2007, with a Baikal

Eighteen-year-old Philip Poru was reportedly shot dead with a Baikal in Plumstead, south-east London, last October

Converted Baikal weapons, often imported from Russia and Eastern Europe, are the weapon of choice for gangsters.

Hundreds of illegal guns are seized entering Britain every year and most of them come from Eastern Europe.

The guns, which can be purchased for about £2,500, are manufactured to fire tear gas pellets and converted in underground workshops to fire 9mm ammunition.

Established gangs, dominated by older youths and men, rely increasingly on children as young as 11 and 12 - often siblings of established gang members - as runners to carry drugs or guns.

In 2006, a girl of 14 was been charged with conspiring to supply machine guns to London crime gangs.

The teenager, from Colindale, north London, was accused of conspiring to supply two revolvers and two machine guns, possession of prohibited weapons and ammunition.

The arrest came as it emerged that a schoolboy was able to buy a stash of knives on the auction website eBay despite being under 18.

David Cooper purchased a doubled-ended lock knife used in the hit film Batman and five other knives during a 20 minute online session.

Since October 2007 it has been illegal for anyone under 18 to buy knives.

Richard Ambrose, Head of Trust & Safety for eBay in the UK, said: 'eBay members must adhere to strict rules and regulations when listing items for sale.

'Any knives that are prohibited under UK law may not be sold on ebay.co.uk.

'These rules clearly outline that it is an offence to sell knives to a person who is under the age of 18.

'All users registering to use eBay must confirm that they are at least 18 years old and parents are urged not to register children.

'We constantly review our policies and are exploring ways to strengthen safeguards in this area.'