DETECTIVES are appealing for information from hundreds of young people who were skating at an ice rink when a teenager was shot dead.

James Smarrt-Ford, 16, of south-west London, was gunned down by another youth at a 'disco' event at Streatham ice rink on Saturday night.

Police said the darkly dressed gunman opened fire on the steps leading to the ice, just before 11pm.

The wounded victim managed to stagger onto the ice after being shot twice, but quickly collapsed.

Some 350 people, aged in their late teens and early 20s, were at the arena on Streatham High Road that night.

Within seconds, the rink began to empty, as crowds of people flocked towards the exits in panic.

Trident's Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson said: "We now know that shortly before 11pm James was in the area at the bottom of the stairs leading onto the ice, when he was approached by a black youth wearing dark clothing.

"It is at this point that two to three shots were fired at him.

"Despite being fatally injured, James managed to stagger a few metres onto the ice, before collapsing."

Paramedics treated the teenager at the scene before rushing him to St George's Hospital, Tooting, where he was pronounced dead at midnight.

There were no other injuries, Scotland Yard confirmed.

Yesterday, the shabby 1930s building remained deserted, surrounded by a police cordon.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Trident unit, which probes gun crime in black communities, have launched a murder investigation and are studying CCTV footage from around the scene.

Police are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the gunman running down Streatham High Road shortly after 11pm.

DS Richardson, appealing for witnesses, added: "James' family are devastated and, understandably, finding it hard to comes to terms with the fact that their 16-year-old son, who went out to an ice-skating event, will no longer be coming home.

"It is important that we trace everybody who attended last night's event and I would urge them to make contact as soon as possible."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the incident room on 020 8247 4554 or, to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A post mortem is expected to be carried out later today.

Seven teenage boys, aged 18 and under, were arrested in connection with the shooting. All are in custody at south London police stations.