Two men forced their way into a south London home at midnight last night and shot dead a teenage boy as he slept in his bed two days after he celebrated his 15th birthday.

The teenager was alone with his sister when the gunmen broke into the house in Peckham, just a short distance away from where Damilola Taylor was killed on an estate in 2000.

His terrified sister called an ambulance and administered first aid but he died an hour after being taken to the nearby King’s College Hospital early this morning.

Neighbours said the boy, who has not yet been formally identified, was a regular at the Celestial Church of Christ. Detectives said that he was not a member of any gangs and had not been in trouble before.

The attack follows a spate of murders in Peckham in the last few days but detectives are not yet linking them to this latest attack, which is being investigated by Scotland Yard’s Operation Trident team, which looks at gun crime in the black community.

They would not say whether the youngster was the intended target but did say that they were “certain the premises were targeted”.

It is believed he had two sisters and a brother, who is said to have been in the army.

A post-mortem examination is due to start this afternoon and the road has been cordoned off as forensic officers continue their hunt for clues.

Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson who is leading the investigation said: “So far we are still gathering evidence as to exactly what has happened.

“We believe the boy went to bed at around midnight. At this point we assume the suspects forced entry into the house. The boy was shot while he was in bed.

“His sister, who had also gone to bed, administered first aid and the boy was taken to King’s College Hospital, but he died at around 2am.

“The only description we have at present is two men aged in their late teens or early 20s running along nearby Chandler Way. We are unable to confirm whether they were black or white.

Times Recommends

• What makes the perfect mum?
• To keep me stress-free, no more awareness days, please
• What do lottery winners buy?