Musicians back anti-gun project

Mica Paris is taking part in one of the Disarm gigs

UK garage and R&B artists performed in London on Thursday night in support of a campaign to combat gun crime in the capital.

So Solid Crew, Heartless Crew, Mica Paris and Omar were among artists playing at venues across the city to promote the Disarm Trust.

The Trust is funding projects designed to discourage young people from getting involved in gun crime.

Firearms offences in the UK have risen 42% in four years, from 12,410 in 1997 to 17,589 in 2001.

Megaman, from So Solid Crew, explained why he was supporting the scheme.

"I want to get into the minds of the kids and make the government understand why kids get involved," he said.

Asher D was sentenced to 18 months in jail

His So Solid colleague Ashley Walters - known as Asher D - was jailed for 18 months in March last year for firearms offences.

Calls for tougher gun laws were sparked by the deaths of two teenagers who were caught in a hail of bullets at a New Year party in Birmingham.

Latisha Shakespeare, 17, and her 18-year-old cousin Charlene Ellis died in the incident in the Aston district on 2 January.

Following their deaths, R&B singer Ms Dynamite spoke out to warn youngsters of the dangers of carrying guns.

The government has introduced a month-long amnesty for the handover of illegal firearms, imitation guns and unwanted air weapons.

During the Easter weekend two men were shot dead in London and another was seriously injured in gangland shootings.

A 27-year-old man died after a gunfight between rival groups at a crowed nightclub in central London and a 30-year-old man was killed when two men on a motorbike shot him in the head and chest in Harlesden, north London.