Moves to halt teenage killing on Billy Cox anniversary

The anniversary of the shooting of a 15-year-old boy is being marked by a £1.75million scheme to stamp out teenage killings.

Billy Cox was murdered by gunmen who burst into his bedroom at his home in Fenwick Place, Clapham. A 20-year-old man arrested in June last year over the shooting was bailed to return next month.

Today community leaders in Lambeth announced plans for more team workers on the streets, a team dedicated to gathering intelligence on young criminals, and youth clubs open seven days a week.

Billy was one of 27 teenage victims of gun and knife crime in London last year.

Although there has been overall reduction in crime in Lambeth over the past five years, four of the teenagers killed last year came from the borough and all were shot dead. The others were James Andre Smartt-Ford, 16, Michael Dosunmu, 15, and Abukar Mohammed, 16.

The proposals were announced at the Lambeth First summit where council officials, police, community groups and youth workers signed a "pledge" to take tough action on the issue.

Plans include a hotline for parents concerned that their children are involved in crime, increased investment in rehabilitating gang members, and an intelligence gathering unit to target young criminals.

Other initiatives include a "detached" youth working team, with specialist knowledge of Lambeth gangs, to target the most socially excluded youths. The council spends £3 million on youth services, including youth clubs and other voluntary sector programmes. From April, Lambeth will spend an extra £1.7 million over the next three years.

The investment will be used to keep youth clubs open all week.

Leader of Lambeth council Steve Reed said: "Today the community is getting together to say enough is enough - we will take every step to protect Lambeth's sons and daughters and to give them the best possible chances in life. Lambeth has been at the heart of the problem of guns, gangs and knife crime, but now we are putting ourselves at the heart of the solution."

The event will include a tribute to all young people and families who have been affected by violent crime The tribute will be led by local young people whose lives have turned around on the council's awardwinning programme, including some who have been involved in gangs.