Girl, 9, remains critical after drive-by shooting

Forensic teams continue to operate at the scene of the shooting

A drive-by shooting in Hackney which left a nine-year-old girl critically injured has been described as "reckless" by the Met Police.

Shots were fired from someone on a stolen motorcycle towards a restaurant on Kingsland High Street, Dalston, on Wednesday evening.

The girl, an innocent victim who was having dinner with her family inside, was shot, along with three men sitting outside. Two of the men remain in hospital.

In a new statement, the Met said the attack had an "element of pre-planning" and reached out to east London's Turkish and Kurdish communities for information, saying the men had "connections" to them.

One of the two men has life-changing injuries, Det Ch Supt James Conway said.

Addressing the girl's condition, he told reporters: "We remain in close contact with our colleagues in the NHS who have worked around the clock to provide urgent care to the victims, including the young girl, who I'm very sad to say remains in a critical condition."

He said specialist family liaison officers were supporting the girl's family.

He also added: "We are specifically reaching out to our Turkish and Kurdish communities, particularly in north and east London, who I know are shocked and appalled by this crime.

"This is because the three men who were shot have connections to those communities."

Community representative Erim Metto spoke alongside Det Ch Supt Conway

Giving details of the motorbike used in the attack, he said: "We know that the offender fired from a motorbike at approximately 9.20pm on Wednesday evening.

"The bike was a Ducati Monster with a white body, red chassis and red wheels."

He said the motorbike had been stolen from a property in Wembley in 2021.

"At the time of the shooting, the bike was displaying the registration plate DP21 OXY," he said.

"I want to hear from anyone who might recognise it - I'm particularly keen to hear from you if you saw it on the day of the incident."

Police believe a stolen Ducati Monster motorbike was involved in the shooting

He added: "Gun crime has no place on the streets of London and this reckless act has left a young child fighting for her life."

Erim Metto, chief executive of the Turkish Cypriot Association, spoke alongside the police at Friday's press conference.

He said his community was "shocked by the incident" and encouraged anyone with information to contact the police.

"We as a community stand against violence and gun crime," he added.