Two men have been shot in Luton, a large and diverse town in Bedfordshire, north-west of London.

Police were called to Portland Road, near Luton Football Club’s home grounds, at around 9:50 p.m. on Thursday, after reports that a 47-year-old man had been shot.

The victim, who turned out to be a local imam, was taken to hospital with minor injuries, but a second, 30-year-old victim was more seriously injured, having been shot in the face.

(1/2) We received reports of two men with gunshot wounds in Portland Road, #Luton, at approximately 9.50pm yesterday evening (Thursday). Officers attended the scene, along with other emergency services, and both men have been taken to hospital for treatment. — Bedfordshire Police (@bedspolice) April 5, 2018

“Officers are currently following a number of lines of inquiry, and anyone with information is urged to contact us,” said Detective Inspector Craig Laws, adding that the shooting as “concerning” but police were treating it as an “isolated” incident.

Curiously, Bedfordshire Police do not believe that the shooter and the victims knew each other, nor do they suspect that the shooting was linked to gang or drug crime, or that it was racially-motivated — significantly narrowing the range of possible motives.

Luton in the hometown of independent journalist and street activist Tommy Robinson, as well as one of Britain’s first “plural” cities and towns outside London, where the White British population is in a minority.

Khan’s London: Gang Warfare Kills More than Terror, Despite Tightest Gun Controls Firearms Are ‘Easy’ to Buy https://t.co/uGkyI60BrM — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 5, 2018

Gun crime in neighbouring London, which is currently experiencing a crime wave, leapt 42 per cent in 2016/17, despite draconian controls on legal firearms and a near-total ban on the private ownership of handguns.

Birmingham City University’s Dr Mohammed Rahman, who lectures in criminology and identifies as a supporter of the left-liberal Labour Party, recently explained that — for criminals — guns are still “easy to get hold of”.

“There is a push and a pull effect – as soon as you make it illegal you create a black market. Rogue dealers are supplying and distributing guns to gangland bosses and they are then used in hits,” he explained.

Law-abiding citizens’ options for self-defence are relatively limited, with no concealed carry even for off-duty and retired police and military personnel anywhere but Northern Ireland — where permits are issued increasingly sparingly to select individuals — and home defence is not considered a valid reason for owning a shotgun or rifle.

Earlier this week a 78-year-old man reported to have stabbed an armed home invader, who was attempting to hold him captive in his kitchen while an accomplice ransacked the property, was arrested on suspicion of murder and kept in police custody for two days.

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery