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A man in his 50s has been shot dead by police during an operation in west London, the Met Police have said.
The victim was fatally wounded during an incident in Hanger Green, Ealing, on Tuesday evening.

The Met said the shooting happened as armed officers were conducting a "proactive, intelligence-led operation" at about 2225 BST.

No police officers were hurt and there were no arrests. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating.

Forensic tests

The London Ambulance Service and a doctor from the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Scotland Yard said the police operation had involved officers from Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the black community, supported by specialist firearms officers.

Forensic experts were to examine the scene, and officers from the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards are investigating.

IPCC investigators went to the scene as a matter of routine, the force said.

Recognising that too many young people have been killed in recent gangland shootings in the UK, a London church youth group is helping to tackle the root of the problem.  The Victory Youth Group (VYG) members from Finsbury Park decided on this stand following recent shootings in South London in which three teenage boys died.

Led by a former gang member turned Pastor, the VYG team is using music and drama to show young people the dark realities of gang life.  The first performance of their show - Lost in Da Game - takes place on Sunday April 29 at the Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park at 2.00pm, and is free.

"Teenagers should be in no doubt about the vicious and destructive natures of gangs," said Pastor Damien Jackson.  "We want to help them turn away before it is too late; and we fully understand how hard that can be because of the
tremendous pressure to conform."

Once a member of one of America's most notorious gangs, Bloods, Pastor Damien will be the star of the show.  He will speak from the experience of having escaped the ruthless gang with the help of the UCKG HelpCentre, which he later
joined.  "I hope that this play will convince people that there is hope no matter how bad things are," Pastor Damien added.

Damien, who was an alcoholic by the age of 12, joined the gang to get away from his abusive father who kicked him out when his mother, a con artist left. A fourth stint in jail for attempted murder made Damien see the error of his ways
and now, as a Pastor, he helps others to change their lives for the better.

Pastor Luke Castro who heads up UCKG's youth ministry in the UK said: "With all of the shootings Britain has seen of late, we simply had to stand up and take action.  The aim of the musical is to persuade young people that it's possible
to turn your life around and escape deprived, crime-ridden, and destructive lifestyles.  We are here to talk in complete confidentiality with anyone who wants help in taking this step."

UCKG's Pastor Damien Jackson has left his gang days behind him