Prime Minister David Cameron has been called on to give a police commissioner candidate a national job tackling gang violence after bringing rivals together during his campaign.
Former Police Authority chairman Derek Webley, who came fifth in the race to become West Midlands Police Commissioner, has worked to broker peace between the notorious Johnson Crew and Burger Bar Boys in Handsworth.
Rival gang members even stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr Webley during an election rally attended by more than 1,000 people at the New Testament Church of God in Handsworth.
The two gangs’ bitter turf war, which peaked with the shootings of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare in 2003, has blighted the Aston, Handsworth and Lozells areas for years.
Now community activist Desmond Jaddoo has said, in a letter to David Cameron, the Mr Webley deserves national recognition and suggested a sort of ‘Gangs Tsar’ role.
Mr Jaddoo said: “Derek Webley did a lot of good work in his campaign to bring the gang members together, the Government should be looking to build on his work and use his expertise. A Gang Tsar role would be ideal.
“The two rival gangs coming together like that was an historical moment for our community, but having talked to them they said they have been looking for role models and someone to lead them for a long time.”
Mr Webley, who was the last chairman of the Police Authority - the organisation replaced by the Police Commissioner, stood as an independent candidate in the election won by Labour’s Bob Jones.
