London stabbings: Amber Rudd says cuts to frontline policing not to blame for spate of gun and knife violence

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said a new Offensive Weapons bill will be brought in within weeks
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Eleanor Rose8 April 2018
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Amber Rudd has denied that a rise in violent crime that saw London's murder rate surge past that of New York is linked to cuts to frontline policing.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Home Secretary said figures suggested the number of bobbies on the beat and instances of violent crime were not linked.

"As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge," Ms Rudd said.

"One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets. The evidence, however, does not support this.

"In the early 2000s, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising.

Scotland Yard has launched 55 murder investigations in London this year
PA/Met Police/Twitter

"In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013-14, police numbers were close to the highest we'd seen in decades."

National figures show police in England and Wales registered an increase by a fifth of offences involving knives and firearms in the year to September.

The Home Secretary wrote about the figures as she announced she will call on social media firms to do more to tackle gang material hosted on their sites.

Concerns have been raised that material posted on social media is driving feuds that rapidly spill out into violence on the streets.

London Murder investigations 2018

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Last weekend Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick warned that trivial disputes online can escalate "within minutes".

A recent spate of violence that saw the London murder rate overtake that of New York has prompted criticisms that police are under-using stop and search powers.

Stop and search is now at the lowest level since current data records started 17 years ago after reforms were introduced in 2014 following criticisms that police were targeting black and minority ethnic people.

Ms Rudd said: "Stop and search is a vital policing tool and officers will always have the Government's full support to use these powers properly."

The Home Secretary also revealed that a new Offensive Weapons Bill will be introduced within weeks.

It will include a new offence of possessing acid in a public place, prevent sales of acids to under-18s and stop knives being sent to people's homes when bought on the internet following concerns age verification checks can be sidestepped online.

Labour has however said that "talking tough is not enough".

Gaffe: Diane Abbott has wrongly claimed 16 year olds can fight for their country
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Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "The Tories need to put their money where their mouth is, give the police the resources they need to keep people safe and pursue a collaborative approach to tackling violent crime on our streets."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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