THE man whose death sparked the 2011 Summer Riots was given a gun outside a Leyton school moments before being driven to Tottenham where he was shot dead by police, a court heard.

Mark Duggan, 29, allegedly travelled by taxi cab from Hoxton to Vicarage Road to collect the weapon from a friend before resuming his journey to Ferry Lane where he was gunned down.

The shooting led to some of the worst riots Britain has seen in a generation, including the looting and vandalism of dozens of shops in Waltham Forest.

The claims have emerged in the trial of 30-year-old Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who is accused of supplying Mr Duggan with the illegal weapon in August last year.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard testimony from the driver of the cab who said Mr Duggan asked him to stop outside the school in Vicarage Road, thought to be St Joseph's Catholic Primary.

The driver, who cannot be identified, said that another man then "came out from around the corner" and handed over a square 1ft by 1ft 'cake' box to Mr Duggan.

He said: "He came over and said 'hello and hi' and handed the box over to him. He took it off him and placed it on the seat in front of him.

"I think they spoke to each other for about three minutes and were laughing."

There is no suggestion that Mr Hutchinson-Foster had any association with the school. He was living at a hostel Neville Road, Forest Gate, at the time of the incident.

The cab driver said they then drove to Tottenham where the car was suddenly surrounded by police.

Speaking with help from a Punjabi interpreter, the Hoxton Cars driver said: "Men [police] got out very quickly who were carrying guns in their hands.

"At the same time I heard the sound of my door opening.

"The men who had guns came out from the car in front.

"Then I heard the sound of my rear door opening and I saw Mark Duggan get out of the car and run, about one or two steps maximum.

"At the same time I heard firing from the front and I saw shots strike Mark Duggan. He fell to the ground."

The driver said he was then dragged from his cab by an officer in "an extreme rage, like a mad person. He was angry, crazy or mad".

Mr Hutchinson-Foster denies supplying a modified BBM Bruni Model 92 pistol.

The case continues.