SOUTHWARK LIB DEMS RECEIVE MET ASSURANCES OVER GANG CRIME

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 6th Nov 2006

Southwark's Liberal Democrat MP and Council Leaders have received assurances from the Metropolitan Police over action to tackle gang crime in the Borough.

On Friday, Simon Hughes MP, together with Lib Dem Council Leader Nick Stanton, and councillors Jeff Hook (Executive Member for Community Safety), Caroline Pidgeon (Executive Member for Children's Services) and Ade Lasaki (ward member for South Bermondsey), met with Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, Mike Taylor of the Specialist Crime Directorate, Southwark Borough Commander Malcolm Tillyer and other senior officers.

Following the meeting, Cllr Nick Stanton said:

"We asked for this meeting to we could impress on the top brass at Scotland Yard just how concerned we and the people of Southwark are about the amount of gang crime and the spate of recent fatal shootings in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham."

"We were grateful to receive the personal assurance of Assistant Commissioner Godwin and his senior colleagues that they are taking the menace of gang crime in Southwark as seriously as we are."

Simon Hughes MP said:

Photo attached (left to right) Cllr Jeff Hook , Cllr Ade Lasaki, Cllr Caroline Pidgeon and Cllr Nick Stanton outside New Scotland Yard

"The recent growth in gun crime in south London is deeply worrying. If gangs are not broken up early, and their leaders not clearly in the police's sights, then the problem will worsen and more innocent individuals will be caught up. There have been significant improvements - the price of slipping back is too high to pay."