Murder toll in the capital up 44% on last year

London has seen an "appalling escalation" in killings, robberies and burglary, figures show.

Data released by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee showed that there were 157 homicides in 2017/18, a 44% rise from 109 the previous year.

The number of youth homicides also rose by 30%, from 26 in 2016/17 to 34 in 2017/18.

Personal robbery was up from 22,479 to 30,609, a rise of 36%, while burglary of a dwelling went from 43,424 to 58,050, a leap of 33%.

Committee chairman Steve O'Connell said: "The unacceptable rise in the most heinous crimes such as murder, street robbery and burglaries is deeply troubling.

"The Mayor of London and the Met need to take urgent practical steps to address these crimes, all of which are a third up from this time last year. Our committee will be asking what steps are being taken to keep Londoners safe and reverse this appalling escalation in crime."

Nationally, the most recent data released by the Office for National Statistics showed a rise of 9% in homicides in the 2017 calendar year, up by 54 to a total of 653, when cases linked to the Hillsborough disaster and last year's terror attacks were excluded.

In the overall category of "violence against the person", there were 1.3 million crimes logged, a rise of a fifth on the number in 2016.

Police forces logged 39,598 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2017, a 22% increase compared with the previous year, and the highest number registered since comparable records started in 2010.

Firearms-related offences were also up, by 11%, to 6,604 recorded crimes.