Danielle Beccan was killed in a drive-by shooting

The police say real guns were fired less than once a month - compared with almost once a week in 2004.

Figures revealed exclusively to the BBC in the East Midlands show there were 42 shootings in 2004 but last year guns were fired on 11 occasions.

The number of injuries fell from 11 to five last year. Police believe the fall is the result of some high profile arrests and tougher sentencing.

Operation Stealth

They also think the reduction may be due to widespread revulsion at the murder of Danielle Beccan, 14, who died in a drive-by shooting as she walked home from a fair in Nottingham in October 2004.

They (actually) introduced the five-year minimum sentence for possession of a firearm and I think that has deterred a lot of people Janice Collins

Supt Mick Brookes, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "I think that has had an impact and I think the criminals themselves realise that enough is enough and the people of Nottingham have had enough."

Nobody has been shot dead in the city since March, when Paul Thomas was killed outside a pub in Hyson Green.

Police also attribute the reduction to the fact some of the most dangerous criminals have been arrested as part of Operation Stealth - and the deterrent of a new five year minimum sentence for carrying guns.

The new sentence followed a campaign by Janice Collins, whose 16-year-old son Brendan Lawrence was shot dead in the city in February 2002.

She said: "Lucy Cope, myself and Andrea Draycott actually started the campaign back in November 2002 and I think it was something like 18 months later that they actually introduced the five-year minimum sentence for possession of a firearm and I think that has deterred a lot of people."