'Gangsters' to blame for deaths, says Tory

Oct 26 2007 By Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail

SHADOW Home Secretary David Davis today blasted the Government for their "lackadaisical" approach to gun crime in Birmingham.

And he blamed "gangsterism" from the drug trade as a major factor in the deaths of youngsters on the city streets.

In a visit to Redditch, the constituency of Labour MP and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Mr Davis said there had been too many tragic deaths of young people in the Midlands in relation to gun and knife crime.

Last March Odwayne Barnes, 16, was stabbed to death by a gang of youths after a trivial schoolboy argument.

Teenager Letisha Shakespeare was shot dead after she was innocently caught up in an inner-city gangland warfare more than two years ago.

Today, Mr Davis demanded the flow of weapons into the city to be cut off at the source.

Mr Davis said: "The Government will have you believe that gun crime is dropping.

"But the unavoidable fact is that wounding from gun-related crimes have increased four-fold in recent years.

"Most gun crime comes from modified or converted air rifles or pistols. But we must stop the guns coming into our cities by scanning packages as they come into the country."

Mr Davis said the Government's stance on drugs also had a part to play.

Mr Davis said: "Many of these deaths stem from the gangsterism related to drugs.

"The liberal stance on cannabis sent out the wrong message to our youngsters."