Police appeal over Rhys killing

Chief Superintendent Chris Armitt said residents must examine their consciences and take a stand against the killer and gang culture.

He said: "I understand people are concerned about giving information to the police, that is natural.

"But they have got to stand up and be counted. We have ways to protect members of the public who come forward, we can protect their identities if they go before a court."

He said those who might know the killer's identity "must look to themselves and examine their conscience and if something else happens think 'If I hadn't given that information as quickly as possible can I live with myself?'."

He said parents, grandparents and family members with suspicions about the younger members of the family need to ask themselves what the person was doing that night - and if they have concerns to speak to detectives.

He said he wanted potential witnesses to take courage from the recent inquest into the death of teenager Jessie James, 15, which was halted when new witnesses came forward in the year-old Manchester murder investigation.

He said: "We need to turn statements into evidence, we will protect people's identities and we will convict the killers."

He stressed the wider community, in which Rhys lived, has nothing to do with gang structures, saying: "The fact is 99.9% of residents are law abiding. We have a small number, as in any other urban area, of people involved in criminality."

Police are seeking one key witness in particular, a woman pushing a pram near the shooting scene who may have seen the killer.