Home / Crime and Justice / London's West End Sees Alarming Spike in Knife Crime Despite National Decline
London's West End Sees Alarming Spike in Knife Crime Despite National Decline
30 Jul
Summary
- One small area in London's West End had more knife crime than 15% of the rest of the capital in 2024
- Knife crime in the UK decreased by 1% in the year ending March 2025, but the Metropolitan Police accounted for 31% of all knife crime
- The top 200 knife crime hotspots in London reported 3,615 knife crimes in 2024
According to a recent report, in 2024, a small area of around 20 streets in London's West End near Oxford Circus and Regent Street had more knife crime than nearly 15% of the rest of the capital combined. This area, which includes Oxford Circus, New Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly Circus, saw 108 knife crime offences, more than the 716 "safest" areas combined.
Across the UK, knife crime recorded by the police decreased by 1% in the year ending March 2025, with 53,047 offences compared to 53,685 the previous year. However, the Metropolitan Police, which covers most of London, accounted for 31% of all knife crime in England and Wales in 2024. The top 200 knife crime hotspots in London reported 3,615 knife crimes that year.
The report recommends that the Metropolitan Police introduce a "zero tolerance" approach in the top 20 knife crime hotspots, with officers conducting "very high volumes" of stop and searches and deploying permanent live facial recognition systems at peak times.
