MP caught up in drive-by shooting

David Lammy is the constitutional affairs minister

A government minister has spoken of how he was caught up in a shooting in north London in the early hours of Sunday.

Constitutional affairs minister and Tottenham MP David Lammy told how he went to the aid of the 17-year-old victim as he lay bleeding.

Mr Lammy blasted the police response on the Broadwater Farm Estate, saying they kept paramedics waiting for 10 minutes.

It was only after he stepped in and demanded medical aid, the medics were allowed to attend, Mr Lammy claimed.

Police said they were making sure the area was safe before proceeding.

The victim, who had been attending an event with his parents, had congregated with a group of friends outside the centre when a car pulled up alongside them.

'Single gunshot'

He was hit by a single gunshot.

"I understand that a car drove past with some youths in it with masks on and one gunshot was fired into the crowd and it hit this boy," Mr Lammy said.

"He was in incredible agony, screaming in pain, drifting in and out of consciousness. It was extremely distressing."

Mr Lammy described how he and others tried to stem the youth's bleeding with items of clothing, while they waited for the emergency services to arrive.

Written complaint

However, he said someone then pointed out blue flashing lights further up the road, where police had stopped short of the centre.

Mr Lammy said he jumped in a car and drove up to the officers, where he saw two police vehicles, an ambulance and a paramedic response car waiting at a rendezvous point. He insisted they came to the scene.

The MP said that by the time they reached the boy, it was more than 20 minutes after the first emergency call at 1203 BST.

He is still in hospital having undergone an operation.

Mr Lammy said he had written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair.

Scotland Yard's Operation Trident team, which deals with gun crime in London's Afro-Caribbean community, is investigating.