Man in his forties fighting for his life after being shot in the chest in leafy London suburb

A MAN in his 40s is fighting for his life after being shot in the chest in a leafy London suburb overnight.

The victim was rushed to a central hospital after the terrifying attack, which unfolded in Woodford Green just before midnight.

A Met Police spokesperson confirmed they had been called to the scene on Malvern Drive about 11.10pm after "reports of a shooting".

They said: "Officers, armed police and London Ambulance Service attended and found a man in his forties suffering from gunshot injuries.

"He has been taken to a central London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

"No arrests have been made. Enquires continue."

MPS Firearms Command said the victim had been shot in the chest – with officers rushing to provide emergency first aid to him.

London Ambulance Service confirmed the victim had been taken to a major trauma centre.

One man who saw the victim come out of the house on a stretcher said: "I heard a couple of bangs around 11.15pm.

"We thought they were fireworks until the police and ambulance turned up.

"I saw him being taken out to the back if the ambulance. He looked okay he was quite clean.

"There wasn't anything at the front of the house, it looks like they had come in through the back.”

Another neighbour added: “All I heard were about six gunshots at around 11pm.

"The police then came and there were helicopters above for quite a while."

LONDON'S CRIME EPIDEMIC

It comes after a grim 24 hours of violence on London's streets, with a man in his 20s this morning stabbed in Canning Town about 7.40am today.

Last night, one boy was killed and two others injured in a stabbing attack in Croydon.

Today, murder police swooped to make a fourth arrest after a man was shot in East London this week.

It's the latest in a harrowing spate of bloodshed as London's violent crime crisis continues to spiral out of control.

Last month, London was left reeling after three killings in just 24 hours.

It included the deaths of two teenagers – who were killed just 12 minutes apart in separate gun and knife attacks.

In May, figures revealed five young people are attacked with a knife every day in London.

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It comes after two men have been charged with the shooting murder of a man in Monks Park.

Kwasi Mensah-Ababio was found with fatal head injuries in about 7pm on Sunday.

Alhassan Jalloh, 20, and Karlos Gracia, 22, both of Stonebridge Park, are due to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court charged with his murder.