A masked gunman shoots his victim at point-blank range at dawn on a quiet residential street in the most shocking image yet from 'Wild West Britain'.

Seconds later the gunman had fled the scene in suburban Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in a van.

Police believe the shooting was a 'targeted attack' and yesterday released shocking images from a resident's CCTV camera as they hunted the gunman.

Terror: A masked gunman opens fire in Huddersfield

It is just one more sickening incident in a wave of violent crime sweeping the country.

There have been 74 killings in London so far this year - many of them stabbings - and at one point the capital's murder rate was higher that New York's for the first time.

The latest victim was a man in his 30s who was stabbed to death in Haringey on Saturday night.

In February more than 250 knives and swords were seized across London in just one week and 283 people, many of them teenagers, were arrested for carrying them.

There were more than 23,000 moped-related crimes in London last year – an average of 60 every day.

MPs claim London is like the 'Wild West' because gangs appear fearless about being caught.

In a separate incident, shots were fired early yesterday outside South Woodford Tube station in North East London.

Also yesterday a schoolboy appeared in court accused of seven robberies in an hour-long spree in London while on the back of a moped.

The 14-year-old allegedly punched one victim in the head to get him to hand over his smartphone.

Victim: Zofija Kaczan died after she was mugged in the street

He was remanded into the care of Haringey Council but will live at his parents' home under curfew.

After Friday's shooting in Huddersfield, residents told how they were woken at 4.40am by the sound of gunshots and the screams of the 32-year-old victim, who is believed to live locally.

One said: 'There was someone giving him first aid, applying pressure to a leg wound. It took about 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. He had lost a lot of blood.' The victim is now in a stable condition in hospital.

Comedian Michael McIntyre talks to a police officer after he was violently robbed of his £15,000 Rolex watch by a gang of moped riders in Golders Green last week

On Friday afternoon, a 16-year-old schoolboy was stabbed in South-West London. A gun was later found at the scene. The victim was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Two teenagers and a 58-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Later on Friday, a woman in her 30s had acid thrown at her while she was walking along a busy street in Brentford, East London. A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

An array of knives collected at Bethnal Green Police Station by police officers, including an enormous blade with its handle wrapped up seemingly to improve the grip (centre)

Tower Hamlets Police discovered this shocking silver meat cleaver with a red handle

Two of the knives seized this week by London officers in just 24 hours. The 'zombie' sword (left) was confiscated in Lewisham on Sunday night and the machete (right) was found in Greenwich on Monday night

On Friday night, a three-year-old girl was found dead at her home in the Rhondda valley, South Wales.

Amelia-Brooke Harris's death is being treated as 'unexplained' by police. Her 37-year-old mother was taken into custody for questioning.

On Thursday night, a 21-year-old man was shot dead in Netherton, Merseyside.

Dashcam footage shows an armed moped robber seconds before he stabs a driver and steals his and his passenger's watches on the North Circular Road in Finchley, London

The attacker leaps onto the driver's bonnet and smashes the windscreen before the attack

The stab wound suffered by the driver, who was stuck in traffic and had his window down at the time of the violent attack

On Monday, comedian Michael McIntyre was robbed of his £15,000 Rolex watch by a group of moped riders while he was picking up his son outside a London school.

Separately, Polish-born Arthur Waszkiewicz, 39, was charged yesterday with manslaughter following the mugging of a 100-year-old woman in Derby. He was remanded in custody.

Zofija Kaczan died in hospital on Wednesday after being attacked last month and her handbag snatched.