London has been rocked by another night of violent crime after five teenagers and a man were stabbed over the course of just 90 minutes.
With the number of murder investigations rising above 50 in the capital so far this year, both the London Mayor, Sadiq Kahn, and the Conservative government, are under pressure to gain control of the streets.
6pm - Mile End
In the first attack, around 6pm, two teenagers were stabbed on Grove Road, in Mile End, east London.
The pair, both 15, today remain in a serious condition in hospital.
Police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a 16-year-old, who was treated for minor injuries at the scene, was arrested for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said of that incident: “We sent multiple resources to the scene including ambulance crews, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic, with the first of our medics arriving in just over six minutes.:
“We treated three patients at the scene, and have taken two to hospital as a priority. We remain at the scene.”
7pm - Newham
In a separate east London incident, about an hour later, a 13-year-old boy was seriously wounded after being stabbed on Gainsborough Avenue, Newham.
Three youths have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, Newham Police said.
7.05pm - Ealing Broadway
Police were also called to two separate stabbings at 7.05pm.
One involved a teenager being stabbed in Ealing Broadway, west London. Their condition remains unknown.
7.05 - Westferry
The second incident occurred in Westferry, on East India Dock Road, and involved a 15-year-old boy. He was not thought to have been seriously injured.
Midday - Walthamstow
Earlier on Thursday, around 12.50pm, a man believed to be in his 20s, was stabbed in Billet Road, Walthamstow.
Two witnesses reported seeing a group of teenagers hanging around the streets near Grove Road shortly before the Mile End stabbings.
One, Jack Hawke, 34, who lives further down the street, said he heard “yelling” and went to his window, where he saw three boys, one on a bicycle, with their faces covered.
Another, Jack Hobbs, 30, walked past what appeared to be the same group on Grove Road and said: “They were all wearing dark clothes with their hoodies sort of fastened up at the top so their heads were completely covered.”
Hawke said a month earlier he had seen a group of youths being chased by another group in the park next to where the incident took place.
The incident comes during a spate of knife crime, with stabbings at their highest rate in London since 2010/11.
Scotland Yard has said it is currently investigating 55 suspected murders in the capital since the start of 2018.
Speaking today, mayor of London Sadiq Khan called the rising number of murders “heartbreaking”, criticising the government for cuts to the policing budget, which he said had been reduced by £700 million in the last seven years.
“Over the next three years the Government plans to cut another £300 million. That’s a billion pounds worth of cuts,” Khan said.
“So my message to the government is please work with us to solve this national problem.”
The stabbings unfolded as protesters and community leaders gathered at Hackney Central station, close to where 18-year-old Israel Ogunsola was stabbed to death on Wednesday night.
Ogunsola’s murder followed that of 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor, who was shot in Walthamstow on April 2, minutes after Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was killed in Tottenham.
Protest organisers Guiding A New Generation - commonly known as G.A.N.G - asked Hackney residents to share their stories and pleaded for an end to the killings.