Paddick can halt killing, says Lawrence friend

Duwayne Brooks, who watched his friend get stabbed and beaten to death, has taken a week off work to help on the campaign trail.

He says the Liberal Democrat candidate is the only person who can rid London's streets of escalating gun and knife crime among young people.

Now a 33-year-old engineer, Mr Brooks appears alongside Mr Paddick in his election broadcast which is due to be shown tonight and focuses on youth gun and knife crime.

In the broadcast, Mr Brooks says to Mr Paddick: "Since that day knife crime has continued to plague the city of London. We've had eight years of Ken Livingstone. Our youngsters are still dying on our streets.

"We need somebody that can make a difference. I believe you can make a difference and would be able to tackle the gun crime and knife crime that's on our streets today."

Mr Brooks was 18 when he and Stephen Lawrence, also 18, made their way home on the night of 22 April 1993 in Eltham.

As they waited for a bus, Mr Brooks spotted a group of five or six young white boys who ran across the road towards the pair.

Mr Brooks fled from them, yelling at his friend to do the same. But the group surrounded Stephen, punching and kicking him and pulling him to the ground.

As the youths ran off Stephen staggered 100 yards before collapsing in a pool of blood. Mr Brooks has campaigned on gun and knife crime with groups such as Mothers Against Guns since his friend's death .

He met Mr Paddick when he was a police officer in Brixton five years ago and says he was immediately impressed with his attitude towards the problem.

He said: "I've never stopped campaigning, but I've just seen it get worse. The police don't interact with the kids any more. And I don't know where these postcode wars have come from.

"I think Brian is the only candidate who can have some influence and I'm going to tell everyone I meet."

Mr Paddick has also vowed to stand for only one term should he fail to meet his crime reduction target. He said: "If we're to make this city what it really could be that's going to take commitment.

"And as your Mayor, my commitment to you is if I don't reduce crime by 20 per cent in the first four years I won't run again. Pure and simple."

Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt and Luke Knight were acquitted of Stephen Lawrence's murder in 1996, when a private prosecution by the Lawrence family collapsed after evidence from Mr Brooks was deemed inadmissible. The case against two other suspects, David Norris and Jamie Acourt, was dropped before it reached court. Brian Paddick's election broadcast is at 6.25pm on ITV1 and 6.55pm on BBC1.