‘Spray and pray’ machine gun among haul of weapons seized in London

Cache: some of the 25 weapons recovered by police from a house in Enfield

A MAC-10 submachine gun nicknamed “spray and pray” is among the latest terrifying weapons seized by police tackling a dramatic spike in fatal shootings in London since lockdown eased.

Detectives revealed a member of the public discovered the weapon hidden with eight rounds of ammunition in a bag in south London. It earns its nickname because of its ability to pump out 1,000 rounds a minute and its lack of accuracy.

The discovery came as police vowed to crack down on criminal gangs using guns after eight people were shot dead in London since June, bringing the year’s total so far to 11. That compares with 12 last year and 15 in 2018.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Turner said his officers aimed to make the city a “hostile environment” for anyone using, carrying or storing weapons for drug gangs.

The Mac-10 submachine gun

Mr Turner thanked the person who discovered the Mac-10 in Mandela Way, Bermondsey, last month for bringing it straight to them. A gang used one to kill Pc Sharon Beshenivsky during a raid on a travel agent in Bradford in 2005.

He said the Met are investigating 25 “linked series” shootings, some of which were fatal.

Analysis has discovered that the same weapons were used in a quarter of about 500 firearm discharges each year, as a shortage forces gang rivals to rent the same guns from middlemen.

Since July, police have discovered two gun factories in north and south London set up to supply gangs with dozens of converted firearms and homemade ammunition.

Officers recovered 25 weapons, mainly revolvers, of which some were loaded, at a house in Hadley Road, Enfield. A kitchen workshop included a bullet moulding press, lathes, bullet cases, heads and other component parts.

Mr Turner put the surge down to tit-for-tat gang tensions and feuds in hotspot areas that were not reconciled before lockdown. He said: “Our determination is to make London a hostile environment for those with firearms or those who plan to use them.

“At the height of lockdown, there weren’t very many places to hide. You stood a very good chance of being stopped by the police. As we move out of lockdown, those opportunities to settle old scores present themselves.”

A woman, 45, and a 25-year-old man have appeared in court charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life or enabling another to do so in connecting with the gun factory in Enfield.