STOP AND SEARCH ‘IS WORKING’

STOP-and-searches have cut London’s murder rate by a quarter in a year, the UK’s top police officer said yesterday.

Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick credited a 30 per cent increase in stop-and-searches – to 172,000 – for a drop in violent crime.

Killings are down by a quarter and injuries from stabbings among the under-25s are down by 15 per cent.

The Met recorded 122 homicides, with 32 fewer victims than the previous period, not including nine killed in terrorist attacks in 2017. Knife injuries to teens were down 15 per cent over same period from 2,079 to 1,768.

Knife crime with injury for all ages was down by 10 per cent, gun crime fell by 6.8 per cent, moped-enabled crime halved and acid attacks dropped by 30 per cent.

But retired police superintendent Leroy Logan, who helps knife victims, said murders and fatal stabbings were still too high, adding: ‘The Met are nowhere near getting a grip on this.’