Knife crime in London has leapt by a sixth amid a surge in violent robberies and sex attacks, new figures have revealed in a blow to Met efforts to protect the public from violence.
The Office for National Statistics said that 12,786 knife offences were carried out in the capital over the 12 months to the end of March this year. The total compares with a figure of 11,031 for the comparable period a year earlier and represents an increase of 16 per cent.
