Emotional plea to witnesses of shooting

THE mother of a teenage girl shot dead outside a hairdresser’s shop in Birmingham yesterday made an emotional appeal for witnesses to come forward.

Marcia Shakespear, mother of 17-year-old Latisha Shakespear, who was shot in Aston last Thursday, said a part of her had died when her daughter was killed. She yesterday told a news conference: "I don't want another incident, children to be killed. It has got to stop now.

"A part of me died when Latisha died. If you do not come forward after this what is left, what could be worse? This is as bad as it gets, please help."

Mrs Shakespear's plea came as Home Secretary David Blunkett plans to tighten firearm laws that will see a mandatory jail sentence of five years for gun possession.

Two new witnesses have been identified by police following last week's shooting of four teenage girls outside a hairdressers in Birmingham.

A series of searches were carried out over the weekend as part of the murder inquiry into the deaths of Charlene Ellis and Latisha in Aston last Thursday. West Midlands police said 10 search warrants were carried out by officers who had hoped to find illegal firearms, but none were recovered and no arrests were made. Det Supt David Mirfield told the news conference in Birmingham that many witnesses, including some gang members, had broken their silence.

"They too have been shocked by what has happened and I believe they have a genuine desire to see those responsible arrested and charged," he said. Mr Mirfield said Latisha was shot four times and Charlene three times by the same weapon a sub-machine gun. He said the girls were in a group of 25 when they were shot but said he didn't believe they were the intended targets.

Police appealed for help in finding the occupants of two cars seen leaving the scene a white or silver Vauxhall Vectra and a smaller red car.

Chief Inspector Steve Glover said he believed more witnesses would come forward. "It is good that we're getting cooperation from the public and not this wall of silence that was predicted.

"We are getting lots of calls, mostly anonymous, but the problem with that is we have to research the information and corroborate it."

The four girls had been at a party held at a hairdressers in the Aston area of the city. Charlene's twin sister

Sophie is still under armed guard in hospital. Their cousin, 17-year-old Cheryl Shaw, was treated for a hand wound. A memorial service for the victims was held yesterday morning at a church near the scene of the fatal shootings.

Yesterday, Mr Blunkett launched an attack on violent gangster rap music, condemning it as "appalling."

But the home secretary appeared to rule out explicit censorship of lyrics.

He said those who made music which glamorised gun violence would be made aware of "what is and isn't acceptable." He plans to tighten firearms laws a result of an unacceptable increase in "flagrant gun use."