How many more innocent people are going to be killed before the "community" wakes up and starts to help and support the police in PREVENTING these crimes taking place in the first place?
These crimes are now not just limited to petty drug dealers but now pillars of the community ,who previously got automatic respect, are being slaughtered.
These crimes are not the fault of politicians or police, it is down the community in which they thrive not keeping informed about what their sweet sons, daughters, nephews and nieces are doing on the streets.
RIP James Oyebola (a real man).

Keith, London, England

It's completely unnecessary to combine this terrible act of violence with the ban. People are hurting people for any reason, not only for a smoker / non smoker conflict.
I was in London the night it happens and I enjoyed the fresh air inside the pub. The ban is the best for all.
Some years ago, I think it was around 1996, I pleased two young men to stop mobbing a girl inside a tram in Hannover, Germany, and one of them also pulls a gun. Fortunately he didn't shoot... So it can happen everytime for any reason, and this tragedy should be never ever a reason for a review of the ban.
All best wishes for Mr Oyebola from here. Please apologise for my grammar.

Laurents, Hannover, Germany

James you are in my prayers together with Malin & your children. God Bless you all.

DIANE , Cheshire, UK

Another illustration of how this draconian smoking ban is tearing society apart. Of course I don't condone their actions for a second, but it is only an extreme example of the many unpleasant situations arising from the most oppressive legislation since wartime emergency powers. It sets friend against friend, neighbour against neighbour... and was entirely unnecessary.

Howard, Cambridge UK,

To Fanny, Vienna, Austria: people do not want the ban? Speak for yourself. I for one - and EVERYONE I KNOW - are glad we don't risk OUR health every time we step into an enclosed space just so that smokers can kill themselves slowly. I'm 100% glad I can go out and not come home stinking of stale cigarettes. And I'm more than 110% glad that my throat and nostrils don't burn anymore...

Lauren, Ealing, London

A man gets shot for the most trivial of reasons and you use the opportunity to promote pro-gun politics. Shame on you, Sir. This is hardly the time or place.

Richard , Sydney,

How totally tragic...... my heart goes out to his family. The irony is almost too great to bare, that a man who has so obviously invested his time and energies into helping young people be "taken out" like this.

Jacqui , London, UK

Gun bans make the weakest in society, defenseless.
While a gun ban may reduce crime commited with a gun, it increases overall crime.

If a criminal breaks into a woman's house with a gun, and she has a gun, she can quickly scare him off. If guns are banned and the man has a knife and the woman has a knife, the knife will be taken away from the woman and she will be raped.

Look at your own skyrocketing statistics on rape, robbery, and violent crime. There are more than twice as many rapes today as there was 10 years ago when handguns were banned.
http://www.crimestatistics.org.uk/output/page27.asp

Christopher M, Houston, TX / USA

The banning of handguns in the UK has made it incredibly difficult to get them, obviously it is still possible to do so and you will never fully prevent this. In the US, however the lack of gun control has meant that everyone, criminals and law-abiding citizens, can easily get to them and has resulted in a free for all. the statistics speak for themselves; firearms were used in 73 homicides in the UK in 2004/2005, compared to the US where firearms were used in around 10,104 homicides during 2005. a large percentage of illegally held firearms in the US are stolen from people who originally bought them legitimately. However the fact that the US is now so awash with guns means any gun control laws would probably be fairly useless, and more likely to endanger ordinary people by leaving them undefended against armed criminals. The gun laws in the UK have so far saved us from a similar situation. Personally i advocate much stiffer sentences for possession in the UK.

Rob K, Norwich,

Christopher of Texas.....You're just a bunch of cowboys mate. We need civilised laws for civilised countries we want people to be able to contribute and give back to the world....A bit more than an hot-dog...know what I mean?.....These thugs will be found and brought to justice, don't worry about that pal.

kirk, Rotherham, UK

Christopher M's argument is completely illogical. More guns in circulation will inevitably lead to more gun related crime. I know many Americans, particularly Texans, believe the opposite to be true but a simple comparison of the US and UK incidence of gun related murder will show the reality.

John, Beijing, China

This is a horrible crime, and moreover it proves that waiters and witresses are in danger with this ban. In another article (in "this is london", they said the boxer came for help, because the staff did not manage to have the customers stubb their fags out.
I guess they got afraid becuase he is so big. But fact is that people do not want that ban, and waiters are not paied to risk thier lives for a fag.

Fanny , Vienna, Austria

Christopher M - You are hypothesising which is not necessarily an accurate prediction of what might have happened.

Banning handguns will never stop all murders by them, because it is possible to get them illegally if you really want to and are willing to break the law. Illicit drugs are illegal in both the US and Britain but that doesn't mean you don't get addicts and people OD'ing in both countries. What happened is a trajedy and not a reflection on British gun laws...
P.S. I don't have the figures but I am guessing the ratio of deaths by handguns (legal or illegal) is far greater in the US

Tom, Sheffield, UK

I urged everyone to please stay in prayer for my Dear Brother and friend James Oyebola (BBJ). I want the whole world to keep the shout - "Get Up James In Jesus Mighty Name" (Amen)

Foley, London, UK

need more prisons and tougher sentences
and serious deterents...like life 4 life

Imran Khan, London, Uk

I thought Britian banned handguns? How could he have been shot if handguns were illegal?

Oh wait, criminals still got a gun and still used them for such a trivial matter as being told to stop smoking. It's only the law abiding citizens that have been left defenseless. How many unneeded deaths does it take before the British realize that laws banning guns do not work?

If the criminal thought that there was a chance that Mr. Oyebola had a gun himself and could fire back (or another bouncer could fire back) then they may not have shot at him. By banning handguns, the criminals knew for a fact that Oyebola was unarmed.

Christopher M, Houston, TX / USA

Enoch predicted it all!

stanley, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This is so so sad. I hope that the people responsible are caught. My heart goes out to Mr Oyebola's family and friends.

Emma, London, UK

This is a very very sad indictment of our society now and much more urgent work has got to be done to get rid of the ghettos. They need to tackle it ,I think, from 3 angles. (1) more facilities for young people in London (2) more youth workers and funding for them (3) a much tougher approach to gun and knife crimes with much longer sentences.
It seems that not a day goes by now without reports of some tragedy and we need to do something about it, not just the usual Government talk & spin

Simon, London, UK