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Shot man dies after Croydon riot

Tom Morgan,Alison Kershaw
Tuesday 09 August 2011 14:02 BST

A young man shot in his car during last night's "unprecedented" rioting died today.

A murder hunt was launched as police announced that the 26-year-old victim had died after being admitted to hospital.

He was discovered in a car suffering from gunshot wounds at about 9.15pm as trouble flared in Croydon, south London, last night.

Scotland Yard described last night's violence as the worst it had seen "in current memory" for "unacceptable levels of widespread looting, fires and disorder".

Along with the 26-year-old who was fatally shot, a total of 44 officers were wounded in the capital and a man in his 60s suffered life-threatening head injuries.

Commander Simon Foy said the man was found inside the car last night and taken to a south London hospital, where he died this morning.

Two others in their late 20s have been arrested for handling stolen goods and taken to a south London police station, he added.

Officers from the force's Trident unit are investigating.

PA

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