Yard unit to fight Asian crimewave

Scotland Yard is to launch a specialist unit to tackle an explosion in Asian crime in London.

The number of murders involving Asians has risen by 300 per cent in a decade compared to 32 per cent in the general population. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, Britain's most senior Asian police officer, said today that unless action is taken, some communities could become "crime-ridden ghettos". Speaking on BBC Radio's File On 4, Mr Ghaffur also revealed that 20 per cent of the Met's kidnapping cases now involve Asians.

Mr Ghaffur said the new unit would be similar to Operation Trident, which tackles drug and gun crime in the black community. In its first stage, costing ?5 million, officers will begin gathering intelligence in the next two months.

Police are particularly concerned at the rise in extreme violence among Sri Lankan gangs.