West Midlands gun crime rise 'triggered by rising gang confidence'

The number of weapons fired doubled from an average of five per month to 10 per month at the turn of the year which saw four men killed.

Dave Thompson, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, said new action had 'ceased' the regularity of shots fired but that he still remained 'worried' about the number of guns available.

He said officers had worked 'ferociously hard' to tackle gun and gang culture.

He told the strategic policing and crime board meeting yesterday: "I am grateful for the work the investigation teams have done.

"I am still worried about the level of availability of fire arms that exist.

"That's not to say we are at European levels or the dark days of the early 2000s, but I think we have seen increased availability.

"Government work on antique guns is on-going because we see a trend of antique weapons here in the West Midlands."

A report by Mr Thompson said the rise was believed to be 'related to disputes over, or robbery of, drugs combined with an increased (although still limited) availability of firearms and a growing confidence of gang nominals'.

The force established Operation Captiva to clamp down on the return of gun crime to the West Midlands' streets.

Since January 88 raids have taken place with 13 guns recovered.

Two loaded handguns and live ammunition were recovered from the house in Tipton last month and a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as drugs offences.

And armed police raided a home in Wolverhampton where they seized a large amount of drugs and two firearms. Two men and two women were arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms and possession of Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Mr Thompson added: "We are robust at tracking them down.

"Our pace to chase down intelligence has increased considerably.

"The problem has not gone away and it won't go away, but the force has taken good steps."

Earlier this year that last of 18 members of the notorious Burger Bar Boys gang, which ran a network of supplying guns and ammunition to criminals, were jailed. In total they will spend 200 years behind bars.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson has set up an independent commission to look into gang and violence in the West Midlands.