A former teenage drug dealer who nearly died of gunshot wounds has criticised plans to tackle violent crime in the capital.

Divine-Kofi Kotey-Ampofo made thousands of pounds dealing drugs as a teenager and was frequently involved in violent crime before turning his life around.

He now runs kis4life, a programme that works with young people to stop them getting involved in illegal activity through mentoring programmes and school workshops.

The former cocaine dealer, who was nearly gunned to death at 16 during a fight with a rival gang, said current measures to tackle violence in the capital do not go far enough.

Sadiq Khan last year announced he would be taking a ‘public health’ approach to fighting violence in the capital which will focus on early intervention as well as targeted stop and searches.

Mr Kotey-Ampofo said: “If we really want to tackle these problems we have to tackle them head on. Stop and searches just control the disease, they don’t cure it.”

The Waltham Forest resident said a lot of young people get involved in street crime because they have nothing to do and do not know how to access services to help them – as well as feeling lonely and having a lack of guidance.

Speaking about his own youth, the 29-year-old, who moved to the UK from Ghana aged seven, said as a child he often felt isolated and that he did not “fit in”.

He said: “To a lot of people living in the third world it seems like life in the UK is really good, I thought the UK promised a better life.

“But I was mocked a lot because of my differences. I suffered a lot of verbal abuse and I no longer felt I had my identity. I felt isolated and alienated which made me angry and frustrated.”

He first became involved in crime at 13 when he would joy ride on stolen mopeds in the evening.

The thefts soon led him to drug dealing, fighting and carrying weapons, the flashy car driving drug dealers on his estate providing plenty to aspire to.

He said: “We were drawn to their money and they got it through selling drugs.

“If you had asked me what success was at the time I would have said it was that. We thought that was our answer to getting successful, but we were dancing with the devil.

“I pursued a mission to become a drug dealer and to make thousands of pounds all in searching for a sense of belonging and carrying knives and guns became normal to me.”

Describing the time he was shot and nearly died after being chase by a rival gang member, he said: “My skin felt like meat sizzling in a hot pan. I thought I was dead.”

It was at 19 that Mr Kotey-Ampofo decided to turn his life around when he moved to Tilbury in Essex and later opened his own removal business.

He now hopes through running kis4life he can stop other similarly positioned teenagers getting involved in crime and violence.

Mr Kotey-Ampofo added: “I want to give back because no teenager in their right mind should be walking around with a gun.

“It’s suicidal.”