Two men dead after triple shooting in Ilford

Forensic officers are investigating a home in Ilford

Two men have been killed and another has been left critically injured in a shooting in east London.

Armed police were called to reports of a fight and shots being fired in Henley Road, Ilford, just after midnight on Tuesday morning.

Two men, aged 23 and 30, died at the scene and a 30-year-old man remains in a critical condition in hospital.

One local resident said he called 999 during the "commotion", and described seeing multiple men wearing balaclavas.

The Met said "urgent enquiries to trace a number of suspects" were ongoing, but no arrests have been made.

A car linked to the shooting has been recovered nearby from Ronnie Lane, the force added.

The families of both men have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

A car linked to the shooting has been recovered nearby, police say

The family of the 30-year-old man in hospital was also being supported by officers, the Met said.

Met Police forensic officers were seen working at a house in the street in what is the capital's 86th homicide this year.

Of these, 47 were stabbings and eight involved a firearm, data compiled by the BBC has shown.

'Heard screams'

The man who said he had called 999, who did not want to be identified, also told the BBC he had given first aid to one of the shot men, who still had a bullet lodged in his abdomen, as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Resident Shamima Ahmed heard screams and then saw police running to the scene

Shamima Ahmed, who has lived in the street for two years, told BBC London: "I heard screams in the beginning. I didn't bother much because it happens every day around here.

"Then it went worse and I could see the police running. The whole area had been cordoned off," she added.

Raz, a taxi driver who did not want to give his surname, said it was "not safe to be walking around" the area at night.

"When I'm driving around at night past cashpoints I see people getting robbed," he added.

"The police need to up their game."

The Met Police called the shooting "an appalling act of violence" and appealed for witnesses to come forward

At the scene

By Victoria Bourne, BBC News

People who live and work in this part of Ilford have expressed dismay and shock at a shooting taking place in a residential area.

Several businesses said they were used to drug problems and violence but were fearful that this had now escalated to include the use of guns.

People living on Henley Road told me that they initially thought the gunshots overnight were fireworks as many locals had been celebrating Diwali.

There is still a large police cordon in place around Henley Road while forensic teams work outside the property.

Speaking at the scene, Insp Dave Holgate said his thoughts were with the families following the "appalling act of violence" and appealed for witnesses."We understand that the community will quite rightly be shocked by this horrific incident, and we share in their concerns.

"However, I can assure that my dedicated colleagues are working at pace to collect evidence and identify the suspects."

Armed officers and paramedics were called to Henley Road just after midnight

Jas Athwal, leader of Redbridge Council, called for a larger police presence in the area.

He said their numbers had been "cut over successive governments" and insisted that "we have to make sure we get the police here".

"I made that plea to the new Metropolitan Police commissioner only last week and he agrees that we need more police," he said.

"I think sometimes these things build up over time and that's where the police is needed to stop that building up over time and I think if we could get that we would be in a better place", he added.

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