A drug dealer has admitted firing a sub-machine gun at a PCSO as he sought to make his getaway.

Mubarak Shaibu, 24, shot at Giovanni Tozzi with a Skorpion gun near Hackney Downs Park.

Mr Tozzi was not injured in the incident on April 5 last year.

At the time Sgt James Reynolds from Dalston’s safer neighbourhoods team tweeted that a gun had been fired towards a member of his team while they were trying to deal with rival gangs in Pembury Road.

Patrols had been increased around the Pembury Estate due to a rise in gang tension, according to former Borough Commander Matthew Horne.

Officers had spotted two men acting suspiciously and broken up two rival groups before the gun was fired in the direction of the PCSO at around 8.20pm.

Shaibu, of Amhurst Road, Lower Clapton, was originally charged with attempted murder, but on Friday at the Old Bailey prosecutors indicated the charge would be dropped after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm.

Prosecutor Mark Dacey said: “Mr Shaibu went to the estate on the day in question carrying this weapon effectively with the intent to exact revenge for an attack that had taken place the night before.

“Having been seen by police he made off. PCSO Tozzi was in the way where he wanted to escape.

“He discharged one shot in the direction of PCSO Tozzi although not hitting him.”

The prosecutor said it was accepted Shaibu, who is serving a sentence for supplying drugs, did not intend to kill the PCSO.

Shaibu will be sentenced later in the year.