Mediators will make peace in gang wars

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Under the £220,000 scheme, volunteers will negotiate with gang members to defuse disputes and prevent clashes.

They will be taught conflict resolution techniques to help them intervene in "threat to life" cases.

One technique will be to pass on "settlement offers" from those who are seeking to avoid revenge attacks from rivals over alleged insults.

Mediators will also arrange face-toface meetings between individuals on different sides of a conflict.

The pioneering scheme is funded by London Councils, which represents the boroughs, and will be run by the London Action Trust charity.

It is one of four projects that aim to combat gang violence. The others are:

Anti-knife, gun and gangworkshops run by the Prince's Trust.

The "No Joke" project at the Comedy School. This warns 11- to 14-year-olds about the consequences of knife crime.

The Fairbridge charity, which runs courses for young people on the problems caused by involvement in gangs.

The four projects will receive a total of about £700,000 in funding. Volunteers will be recruited from communities affected by gang violence.

Disputes will be referred to mediators by community groups, councillors, police and Trident Independent Advisory Group, which works with the Met to tackle gun crime in London.

Publicity campaigns will encourage gang members to use the scheme.

The boroughs taking part are Brent, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Newham and Waltham Forest.

Paul McCannah, chairman of London Councils' grants committee, said: "The projects aim to break the myth that crime is a glamorous lifestyle."

Gun and knife violence led to the deaths of 27 London teenagers last year. This year's toll has already reached 11.

A Met document obtained by the Evening Standard last year estimated that there were about 170 gangs operating in London.