Teen arrested over London shooting

A 16-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of London teenager Sharmaarke Hassan.

According to local reports, Hassan was shot as he sat with a group of youths on a bench in Gilbey's Yard, overlooking The Regent's Canal, on Saturday night.

He died on Wednesday.

It has emerged the 17-year-old, from Camden, north London, was a convicted drug dealer.

Hassan appeared in court last month charged with drug offences and was punished with 40 hours Community Service. He also had convictions for breaching the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) and stealing a £2,000 Cartier watch.

Scotland Yard said the teenager arrested in relation to his death is in custody at a north London police station.

Hassan is the fifteenth teenager to be killed in the capital this year.

It is understood he was a member of north London gang The Money Squad (TMS).

The local authorities tried to ban alleged gang members from Camden at an Asbo hearing a fortnight ago.

Orders were sought forbidding them from meeting more than five named individuals, but according to reports, a district judge refused interim orders on all but three.

Highbury Corner Magistrates Court confirmed Hassan was among those named on the Asbo application.

Local residents said the bench where the teenager was shot was a hang-out for drug dealers from nearby Camden High Street and King's Cross.

Superintendent Paul Morris from Camden Borough Police said: "We have stepped up patrols in the borough to reassure the community and specialist officers are investigating the incident.

"In addition, we are working closely with community groups to offer any other reassurance which we can."

Internet users claiming to be members of the TMS gang have left threatening messages on a number of websites.

A blog about gang wars in Camden has attracted a series of comments claiming that Somali gangs were "running" the borough.

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