Tech firms urged to tackle violence

Internet companies must do more to rid their platforms of content that fuels youth violence, the government has said.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will press social media firms to step up their response following a spate of murders in London.

The Home Office said gangs often post videos online that “seek to incite violence or glamorise criminality to influence young people”.

A spokesman said: “The instant nature of social media also means that plans develop rapidly and disputes can escalate very quickly.”

The latest call for action comes amid mounting concern that social media could be helping drive a deadly spate of violence in London.

At the weekend Britain’s most senior police officer warned that trivial disputes online can escalate “within minutes”.