A LEADING police officer is pleading with residents to help them catch the culprits behind a spate of shocking firearms incidents in the south of the borough.

Supt Sue Williams, deputy borough commander, said: “We rely on the local community and parents, family or friends of those involved in gun crime to come forward to prevent anyone being seriously injured.

“We will treat all calls confidentially.

“We have recovered a number of weapons recently in sweeps across the borough,  and are working closely with colleagues from Operation Trident to bring to justice those who commit gun crime offences.”

In recent weeks the Leyton area has seen a number of incidents involving guns, which are not believed to be linked.

On September 2, a man was shot in the groin in Capworth Street,Leyton.

The gunman, described as black, and wearing a light grey hooded top and a green bandana across his face, is still at large.

Five days earlier police stopped and searched a man in Leyton High Road, and later charged him with possession of a firearm.

On August 23 paramedic Suzanne O'Rourke was shot twice from a high-rise block of flats while attending a patient in King's Close, on Leyton's Beaumont estate.

Only her bullet-proof vest prevented serious injury or death.

And a couple of weeks earlier a shoot-out on Leytonstone's Cathall estate left residents too scared to come forward with information.

Six people have been arrested and bailed and police say they believe they know what happened, but are struggling to find witnesses in order to obtain the evidence they need to charge anyone.

There were a total of 142 reported gun crimes in the borough in the 12 months until July this year, an increase of 12.7 per cent.

Supt Williams said: “We are working closely with our communities and partnerships to develop local strategies to address the rise in gun crime.”

Anybody with information about any of the incidents can report what they know anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.