A teenager has died after being shot in the head in an area of North London where street gangs are fighting to control the supply of drugs.

The murder of Sharmaarke Hassan, a 17-year-old member of the Money Squad, has highlighted the conflict in the streets of Camden Town, which is renowned for its vibrant music and nightclub scene. He is the 15th teenager to die violently in London this year.

The Somali youth had been ambushed by three people in the Gilbey’s Yard estate overlooking the Regent’s Canal on Saturday night and died as a result of his injuries on Wednesday. Residents said that he had been sitting on a bench used as a “hangout” for drug dealers from nearby Camden High Street and King’s Cross.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested last night on suspicion of murder. Scotland Yard said that he was being held at a North London police station.

The area’s pubs and clubs are frequented by a group of celebrities that includes Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty, Peaches Geldof and Daisy Lowe.

Although Sharmaarke Hassan was just a “runner” for the Money Squad, the most junior member of the gang, he was already a convicted criminal and well known to local police.

Last month he was found guilty at Thames Youth Court of possessing cannabis and offering to supply the drug. He was sentenced to 40 hours’ community service. In February he was convicted of threatening unlawful violence and of breaching an antisocial behaviour order for the second time. Two months earlier he was convicted of stealing a £2,000 Cartier watch and breaching the terms of his ASBO at the same court. He was charged with affray in September but the case was dropped.

This month the police started court action to impose ASBOs against 14 members of the Money Squad. They are seeking to ban the youths from Camden, prevent them from meeting more than five of their listed friends and prohibiting them from harassing or distressing anyone for three years.

The Money Squad has been involved in a series of revenge attacks on other rival drug gangs, including the North London Somalis, the Camden Boys, African Nations Crew and the Centric Boyz over the past two years.

Faisal Wangita, the son of the former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, was convicted last year of being part of a group of 40 members of the North London Somalis involved in a murderous attack on a member of the Centric Boyz. Wangita, 25, was jailed for five years for his part in the attack on a Mahir Osman, 18, a student.

Internet users claiming to be members of the Money Squad left threatening messages on a number of websites. A blog about gang wars in Camden attracted a series of comments claiming that Somali gangs were “running” the borough.

One user calling himself “TMS BOIIII” wrote: “Listen 2 dis bluud TMS n ANC r takin ova Camden n soon takin ova London . . . Jus know da levels us man dont joke no more u lot killed Mahir but dnt think u gonna get away wid dat. If u lot r badboys as u claim com try another ting like dat.”

Another comment left on a West London newspaper website reads: “If u man are on bigger tingz, come frontline camden and u’ll get shown waam by us somalians, coz dis aint our country and we’ll terrorise niggaz.”

A day before Sharmaarke Hassan was attacked another 17-year-old boy was shot in the stomach two miles away in Archway. Both shootings are being investigated by Scotland Yard’s Operation Trident, which deals with “black-on-black” gun crime. Residents of Gilbey’s Yard, the low-rise estate where Sharmaarke Hassan was shot, described yesterday how the area had been overrun by drug gangs.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I was walking past and saw a group of Somalian boys fighting in an alleyway. I just carried on going and then I heard two loud bangs and I realised someone had been shot.”

Superintendent Paul Morris, from Camden Borough Police, said: “This is a shocking tragedy. We have stepped up patrols in the borough to reassure the community and specialist officers are investigating the incident.

“In addition, we are working closely with community groups to offer any other reassurance which we can.”

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