THE murder of Richard Holmes, who was shot and killed in the street, has sparked fears that gun crime is escalating in Chingford.

Richie, 21, was murdered in Greenham Crescent in the Chingford Hall estate as he defended a 16-year-old boy against some men, police said.

He was found dead in the early hours of Friday, November 4, and a post mortem revealed he died from gunshot wounds.

Richie's murder has sent shockwaves through the community and ward councillor Laurance Wedderburn said he was devastated to hear about the shooting.

He told the Guardian: "The tragic death of Richard Holmes will bring a tear to the eye of most parents of young teenagers who will think there but for the grace of God could have gone my child'.

"I'm sorry to say that the warning signs of a major catastrophe such as this have been there for some time. The number of calls and correspondence I have been receiving from the Chingford Hall area have been growing by the week.

"I have received scores of crime surveys back from local residents and we must now begin to work on the information with which we have been provided."

Cllr Wedderburn said the community needed to work with police to stop young people hanging around the parade of shops in Burnside Avenue because they could create a climate of fear and harm local businesses.

He added: "We must not allow these areas to be controlled by a tiny minority hell bent on trouble.

"It is not good enough to suggest that it is because youngsters nowadays have nothing to do. This has been the case for generations. This is not about blame culture or labelling, it is about removing young vulnerable people out of harm's way.

"The availability of guns and knives has transformed the situation on the ground and we need to work quickly to bring the situation under control. It is time to act."

Cllr Wedderburn said Valley ward councillors would be holding a joint surgery with the police on Saturday, November 26, at 10.30am at the Paradox Centre in Ching Way.

He added: "Now we shall be desperately appealing to local people to work closely with the authorities and the police so that we might prevent another tragic loss of life."

Richie's funeral is next Thursday at SS Peter and Paul Church, Station Road, at 1pm. He will be buried at Chingford Cemetery at 3pm.

His mother Lynn Holmes said everyone who knew Richie was welcome and the service would be a celebration of his life.

Police are still appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about his murder to contact them on 8345 3775 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.