Shooting of boy, 11, spotlights Britain's spiralling gang culture

LONDON (AFP) - The mushrooming gang culture on Britain's streets, drawing more young members from ethnic minorities, came into sharp focus this week with the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy.

Rhys Jones, killed Wednesday night as he played football with friends in Liverpool in north-west England, became the eighth youngster killed by guns this year. In most cases, the crimes were committed by a teenager or young adult.

While British murder statistics have remained stable for the past 10 years, the nation is experiencing a growing problem with gang culture, particularly in big cities like London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.

In 1996, there were 72 gangs in England and Wales whose members were mostly white and aged between 25 and 29.

By last year, however, London's Metropolitan Police counted 169 gangs in the capital alone, a figure which may have risen as high as 257, according to a report published by the police force Friday.

The gangs' members are mostly black and also younger than in past years.