'It's Truly Shocking'

Ross Kemp on his investigation into UK gun crime for a new documentary

- Jenny Cockle

Ross Kemp is used to interviewing armed gangs in war zones such as Afghanistan and Venezuela, but in his new documentary to launch ITV’s latest Crime and Punishment season, he looks at gun crime in the UK. Here Ross, 54, tells TV Times more…

You spent a year with West Midlands Armed Police Force, covering Birmingham. How did you find the experience?

If it hadn’t been for the work I’ve done in other countries, I wouldn’t have got this access. To get to meet the mother of a murdered teen, a gun smuggler, an armed gang and also get front-line access to armed policing in one programme is extraordinary. Sadly, we live in very violent times. Gun crime has risen by 20 percent, knife crime has risen by 20 percent [in 2017]. It’s a complex subject.

Were you shocked by the level of violence?