Gangs blamed on declining values

Stephon Davidson died after a drive-by shooting in Ladywood

A government advisor has blamed a decline in Christian values for a rise in gang violence in Birmingham.

Three people have been killed in the past month in the city in a series of "tit for tat" stabbings and shootings.

Derrick Campbell, who advises the Home Office on tackling gangs in the West Midlands, said the "liberalisation" of society had encouraged gang violence.

He was speaking as police, community and city council leaders held meetings to discuss how to tackle the problem.

Suzette Davenport, Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, said it would "not tolerate" the rise in gang violence and remained committed to putting those responsible in prison.

'Respect, revenue, revenge'

Police have said the killings follow a relative lull in attacks, which was credited on the conviction of senior gang members and the use of anti-social behaviour orders.

There were 20 gang-related shootings in the city in 2005, but just two last year.

It is thought that the release from prison of some senior gang members, coupled with the rise of a new generation of criminals which is trying to establish itself, has sparked a new turf war in the inner city.

Mr Campbell said the violence was related to issues of "respect, revenue and revenge" among rival gangs.

He added: "Years ago, when I was a youngster, many of us from the black community... we went to church, we grew up in Sunday school, we didn't have disputes with knives and guns, we had our disputes and settled them in different ways.

'Steady erosion'

"When you look at the sort of slow, stealthy liberalisation of society and we've all stood by passively and allowed it to happen, eroding many of the Christian principles on which the country's laws, education and relationships were built.

"Go back to basics and you've seen that governments unfortunately have presided over the steady erosion of society's principles, and we're asking ourselves now why we're here?

"It's because we failed to ensure that society's moved forward on the principles that made it great."

The recent rise in violence began with the drive-by shooting on Stephon Davidson in Ladywood on 5 August.

He died from his injuries earlier this week.

Dimitri Foskin, 24, was shot dead in the Newtown area on 23 August, and on the same night, Marlon Morris, 21, was fatally stabbed in Wolverhampton city centre.

A week earlier Mathew Sutherland, 29, was stabbed outside the Q Club on Birmingham's Corporation Street. He later died in hospital.

Two men have been charged with his murder.