Two teenagers were shot in a recent attack in Ardwick

Figures show a 12% decrease in firearms discharges between April 2004 to March 2005, and a 4% drop in between April 2005 and March 2006.

Police said there had been an unusually high number of incidents recently, but that most were being linked and a suspect has been arrested.

The figures do not include the recent shooting of two boys in Ardwick.

Greater Manchester Police said the number of people killed in shootings has fallen from eight in 2004/5 to four in 2005/6.

If we do get an increase we step up what we are doing and target those known individuals Supt Dave Keller

Two people have been killed in 2006, both in the same incident at the Brass Handles pub in Salford in March. Twenty-one people have been injured in total.

Supt Dave Keller, of Greater Manchester Police, said senior officers met every two weeks to tackle known offenders as part of operation Xcalibre, the force's response to gun crime.

Officers target those who are at the root of gun incidents and who pose the greatest threat to the public.

"It (gun crime) is actually down, but when you do get incidents of gun-related crime it does get media attention," said Mr Keller.

"If we do get an increase we step up what we are doing and target those known individuals."

Mr Keller said lots of work was done within communities to stop young people getting involved in gun crime in the first place.