Campaigners warn violent crime in London has reached a "crisis point", following a week in which two people were murdered in Walthamstow.

The area has been shaken by two violent killings in the space of five days, which took place less than a mile apart.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder after 20-year-old Joseph Williams-Torres was shot in Essex Close last Wednesday evening.

A 17-year-old boy from Leytonstone has also been arrested.

Days later on Monday, a 41-year-old man was killed in Vallentin Road, with police detaining a 36-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of murder.

Mr Williams-Torres was reportedly shot while sitting in a stationary car in Essex Close, near the junction with Pretoria Avenue.

He received treatment at the scene from paramedics, but later died en route to hospital.

A post-mortem examination held on Friday at Walthamstow mortuary gave his cause of death as a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.

In a statement, Mr Williams-Torres’s parents said: “Joseph was very much loved by his family and friends. He will be missed by all.

“As Joseph’s parents we would like to appeal to other parents to look into your hearts and ask yourselves, if I was in that position would I want other parents to pass on any information.

“If you do then do the right thing and contact the police.”

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Joseph Williams-Torres was shot and killed in Walthamstow last Wednesday

Following the shooting, police were granted an order, awarding them stop-and-search powers in the Walthamstow area to stop the bloodshed.

On Monday, police and paramedics were then called to Vallentin Road, near Wood Street station, to reports a man had been attacked.

They found a man in his 40s at the scene, but were unable to save his life.

A 36-year-old woman was arrested later that evening, but has since been bailed to a date in April.

A 17-year-old boy was also arrested in connection with the stabbing on Thursday and taken to an east London police station for questioning.

The two incidents in Walthamstow come during a week in which eight people were either shot or stabbed to death in London.

Patrick Green, chief executive of knife-crime awareness charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said the capital had reached a violent crime “crisis point”.

Mr Green called on authorities to do more to educate young people on the dangers of carrying weapons.

"We are at crisis point,” he said.

"We are seeing a steady increase in violent crime, and I think things may well get worse before they get better.

"I think what we are seeing now is that we haven't done enough to help educate young people not to carry knives in the first place, or to turn away from violence and I think until we do we are not really going to solve this problem."

Anyone with information on either killing which took place in Walthamstow this week is asked to call the Met incident room on: 0208 345 3865 or Crimestoppers anonymously on: 0800 555 111.