The deadly heroin street war rival Turkish gangs 'are fighting on streets of London'

Rival Turkish gangs in north London have been waging a turf war over heroin supplies in Britain. Stabbings and shootings between the Tottenham Turks and Bombacilar gang in Hackney all stem from a slap in a snooker hall.

Their battle left an innocent schoolgirl fighting for her life in May when the nine-year-old was caught in crossfire while eating dinner with her family outside a Turkish restaurant in Hackney.

The child's devastated parents said this week their daughter may never be able to speak or move properly again.

Ian Broughton, a former Scotland Yard detective and an expert on street gangs, told The Sun the violence is poised to get worse after the boss of the Tottenham Turks was shot dead.

Izzet Eren, 41, was shot seven times outside a cafe in the Moldovan capital, Chisinaua, earlier this month, dying instantly after his executioner hit him three times in the head.

Mr Broughton said it was most certainly retribution, possibly for the girl or as a display of strength, adding: "If a gang leader has violence committed against them or a member and they don’t retaliate, they lose respect."

He went on to claim it would now be an "upward spiral" of violence, possibly only ending when enough people are "taken out".

According to The Sun, the gangland feud was triggered when Hackney's Bombacilar gang leader was attacked by Tottenham Turks gangsters at a snooker hall in 2009.

Victims of the ongoing violence include Bombacilar member Ali Armagan in 2012 and Zafer Eren, who was shot in Southgate. He is believed to be a cousin of Izzet Eren's.

Dr Simon Harding, Director of the National Centre for Gangs Research Ltd, told The Sun how Turkish gangs from Turkey are pretty well established in Britain.

He said these are people with access to firearms, shifting £200million-£400million worth of heroin, adding: "They're not going to take it lightly if you tread on their toes. People will disappear."

Three men were injured when a gunman opened fire on the Evin Turkish restaurant in Kingsland High Street, Dalston, on May 29.

Detectives this week released three images captured in the Dalston area, with one taken just before the shooting, while two others were captured afterwards.

Video of the shooting showed the gunman on a stolen motorbike firing five shots before speeding off while families sought refuge under tables.

The girl's family said she only went to the cafe for ice cream, adding they didn't know if she would return to being "the smart, funny girl that she was before".

Her parents said in a statement released by Scotland Yard: "We need our child back and we are all praying for her full recovery."