On a May evening in Dalston last year, a motorbike rider, unnoticed by passers-by, approached a busy restaurant, pulled out a gun, and opened fire. Customers dived for cover. Three men were struck by bullets.

“Within seconds, all hell broke loose,” said Det Insp Ben Dalloway from the Met Police.

“Six shots were fired into the restaurant by this gunman on this high-powered bike, who then fled the scene immediately.” The three men who were injured were the intended targets.

But also in the restaurant was a nine-year-old girl, who was eating ice cream with her family, and was hit in the head by a stray bullet.

The gunman fled the scene and has never been found. The force is now offering up to £15,000 for information to help find him.

Another man, Javon Riley, 33, was alleged to have played a key role that night.

Riley was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent against the girl, at the Old Bailey on Monday.

He told his trial he believed he was taking part in a robbery and refused to name the man who hired him.

“I cannot give you that. I fear for my safety and my family,” he told the court.

Riley’s trial heard the shooting appeared to be part of an ongoing dispute between two rival gangs, the Hackney Turks and the Tottenham Turks.

The court heard he was seen on 29 May driving past the restaurant in Kingsland High Street, several times, checking out the targets were there.

“There’s been a long history of violence between these two organised crime groups,” said Det Insp Dalloway.

“There’s been several murders, there’s been several shootings.”

The little girl, who cannot be named because of her age, survived the gunshot but was left with life changing injuries.

“She does have the bullet still lodged in her brain,” DI Dalloway said.

“Obviously she’s suffered. Having said that, she has made a really, really good recovery.”

He said she had returned to school and was able to walk and talk.

The Met is offering a reward of up to £15,000 for information to help find the gunman. But it is struggling to get people to come forward.

Commander Brittany Clarke, from the force, said: “We really understand the reasons for people not wanting to speak to police, we understand that there’s community mistrust, and also they’re scared.

“We see these incidences of violence and we really want to help.”

DI Dalloway added: “At the end of the day, a nine-year-old girl has suffered.

She’s got a bullet lodged in her brain and it’s miraculous that she didn’t die.

“There has got to come a point where we say enough is enough.”