Girl, 9, fighting for life after hitman shooting

A GIRL aged nine was fighting for her life last night after being shot when a hitman fired into a busy London restaurant, also hitting three men.

- Paul Jeeves

She was having dinner with her family when the attacker rode up on a stolen motorbike and unleashed a hail of bullets into the Turkish bistro.

Three men aged 26, 37 and 42 seated outside were also shot in the horror at the Evin restaurant on Kingsland High Street in Dalston, East London. None of their injuries are thought to be life-threatening but one had potentially life-changing wounds.

Police said the schoolgirl, who was not known to the injured men, was "an innocent victim of the indiscriminate nature of gun crime".

As the hunt for the gunman intensified, Met chiefs urged criminals to pass on crucial information - saying they believe the hitman's name would be well known among associates planning the hit.