Blakenall councillor reacts to Connor Brookes shooting

The shooting in broad daylight has rocked the community, but Cllr Hussain said residents – who are like ‘a big family’ – have supported each other since the tragedy.

In a meeting with police and council officials yesterday, Hussain was promised more police personnel would be in the area and that Section 60 stop and search powers would be in place for as long as needed.

In a statement to BirminghamLive, he said: “As always, it’s a huge tragedy when a life is lost, especially a young one and in this way too. I have received many messages from concerned residents who are worried about their well-being and especially for their children.

“Just yesterday I was part of a high-level meeting with the police and council officials all promising to do whatever it takes to reassure the community and keep them safe.

"More police shall be in the area and Section 60 stop and search will be recycled daily for as long as needed to make sure no escalation or further trouble happens. The police have been brilliant in acting very quickly and making arrests.

“Over the months a lot of investment and amenities have gone into Blakenall in the way of youth facilities, extra cameras, more police presence and regular spot checks, and I shall be pushing for these to continue to make sure we have a safer environment for our residents.

“As much as Blakenall gets bad press, I would like to point out that I have not seen any better community spirit anywhere else in the borough.

"The people of Blakenall always come together in times of need to support each other, it’s a place where everybody knows each other and are like a big family. Each time a tragedy has fallen on the community they have proved it by coming out on the street peacefully to show their solidarity.

“I would finally like to say that any information could be vital to the police and encourage people to come forward, be it anonymously, to help stop these atrocities on our streets.”