London link to Bolton street shooting

8:35am Thursday 8th May 2008

DETECTIVES investigating a terrifying street-shooting are widening their net to London in a bid to find the gunman.

A 25-year-old man was shot in the elbow when violence erupted in Mortfield Lane, Bolton, at around 4pm on Tuesday, April 22.

Police believe four black men, possibly of Jamaican origin, were involved and released CCTV images of three suspects in an appeal for information last week.

Now officers have passed on the CCTV images to London-based detectives to see if they can assist with their inquiries.

Detective Inspector Paul Hitchen, from Bolton CID, said: "We are keeping an open mind, but the evidence at this stage would suggest this was a targeted attack.

"We are now investigating links to London and the South-east and are working in partnership with our colleagues at the London Metropolitan Police."

Officers in the Met's Operation Trident task force, which targets gun crime, are now looking into the case.

It is also believed they are looking into possible links with drug-dealing networks.

The victim, also from Jamaica and who lives in South London, was interviewed by police after being discharged from hospital.

He told detectives he believed it was a case of mistaken identity and that he had only been in Bolton to visit his girlfriend.

He claimed he was approached by two men, who said they knew him, and then another pair joined them.

When he told them they had got the wrong man, they did not believe him and there was a struggle in the street. The man fled, but was shot as he ran away.

The bullet hit him in the elbow, travelled down his arm and lodged in his wrist.

He ducked into a nearby taxi office where he called the emergency services on his mobile phone. The bullet was later removed by surgeons.

Two 8mm casings found at the scene of the shooting are being examined by forensic experts.

The casings are of bullets designed to be shot from a gun that was originally made to fire blanks but has been adapted to fire live rounds. The gun involved has not been traced.

Police are still appealing for anybody who remembers seeing or hearing something that day, to get in touch. Witnesses can call Bolton CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.