Sadiq Khan grilled on knife crime in London

       The knife attack epidemic in London is responsible for an overall rise in the UK for the crime category after the problem got out of hand under Sadiq Khan's Mayoralty.

       Home Secretary James Cleverly has revealed that if it was not for the statistics in London knife crime would in fact be falling as a national problem.

       And while the Labour London Mayor called the Tory cabinet minister "desperate", his main rival in the election in May, Susan Hall, said that the statistics were damning.

       She told Express.co.uk: "A thousand people have been killed and knife crime in London is out of control under Sadiq Khan, and yet he has offered nothing but excuses.

       "We owe it to the victims, their friends and family, to do better. Londoners deserve a Mayor who will get a grip of crime and make our streets safe. I will deliver that in May."

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       James Cleverly has warned that knife crime is becoming a London problem (Image: Getty)

       According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show recorded knife crime rose by 22 percent in London in the year to 23 September. Nationally, offences increased by 5 percent.

       Mr Cleverly has written to the London Mayor raising his concerns.

       He said: "This rise is driven by the situation in London," he said.

       "For police-recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments, there was a 5 percent increase year-on-year nationally. The increase in London was 22 percent.

       "If London was taken out of these figures, the national trend would be a 1 percent reduction."

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       Susan Hall believes Khan is to blame for the increase (Image: Getty)

       While Mr Khan has previously pointed out he does not have operational control of the police, the Conservatives have noted that when Boris Johnson was London Mayor there was a decline in knife crime thanks to measures he brought in which were dropped after the Labour Mayor took over.

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       A source close to Sadiq Khan: “This is a desperate and naked political attack, following the Home Secretary’s appalling decision to give London proportionally less money than the rest of the country in the latest funding round.

       “Tory cuts have been a disaster for combating crime across the country, particularly youth violence. The Tories have cut ￡1bn from the Met police in real terms since 2010, and ￡1bn cuts to youth services nationally have had a devastating impact on the vital support communities can provide. Knife crime has increased nationally, with the biggest increases in areas outside London. Cuts have consequences.

       “The Mayor continues to step in to fill the financial gaps left by the government, investing record amounts from City Hall to support the police. He has increased funding for the police by 93 percent since 2016, while he continues to fund more opportunities for young Londoners. This includes providing an additional ￡88m for policing in London in this year’s budget alone."

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