Most knife-crime offences in London are robberies and hotspots include popular tourist areas

People in Carnaby Street in London, near Oxford and Regent streets. Photo / Mary Turner, the New York Times

The West End of London has been revealed as the British capital’s knife-crime hotspot.

More knife offences were recorded in a single area between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus than in 700 other similar-sized locations in the city.

It was among more than 200 hotspot areas that accounted for more than a quarter of all London’s knife crime last year, according to research by the Policy Exchange think-tank.

The geographical concentration of violence comes as knife crime in London has increased by 58.5% to a record 16,789 offences in the three years to 2024. This represents some 32.1% of all knife crime in England.

The Policy Exchange report recommended that Scotland Yard should adopt an enhanced “zero-tolerance” strategy in the top 20 knife crime hotspots where officers would be “explicitly tasked” to conduct “very high volumes” of stop and searches.

“The highest hotspot for knife crime in London (in the vicinity of Oxford Circus and Regent Street) should have very large numbers of officers on patrol (at least 100 officers) in this single area during peak times,” said the think-tank.

There were 108 knife-crime offences in the highest hotspot in the West End, which was more than in the “safest” 716 areas all put together.

The top 200 areas – each covering between 1000 and 3000 people – recorded 3615 knife crimes, 25.6% of all knife offences across the city.

Most knife crime offences in London are robberies, with mobile phones a key target.

Of the 16,789 serious knife crime offences committed in the year to 2024, some 10,346 or 62% were robberies. Some 28% were assaults, 7.6% threats to kill and 1.76% rape and sexual offences.

However, few of the offences are solved. Just one in 20 (5.1%) of robberies resulted in a perpetrator being charged last year, down from 6.8% in 2021. For theft from the person, just one in 170 (0.6% ) offences resulted in a charge, down from 1.1% in 2021.

Chris Philp, the Tory shadow home secretary, said: “The ‘zero-tolerance’ approach advocated within this report is one that I support – it will closely inform my policy thinking in this area.

“Implementation of a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to crime requires a combination of clear policy, political will and savvy operational policing. It also requires policing and political leaders to put public safety ahead of ideological dogma on issues such as stop and search.”

‘Public safety crisis’

Margaret Mullane, the Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, said: “London is in the grip of a public safety crisis. Robbery, knife attacks, and phone thefts have become routine, yet while street crime surges, the criminal justice system has faltered.

“This hard-hitting report from Policy Exchange exposes the scale of the problem and sets out clearly where things must change. Every Londoner deserves to feel safe, and this report shows how we get there.”

The report also highlighted how repeat offenders were being let off jail.

Hyper-prolific offenders – those with 46 or more previous convictions – were sent to prison on less than half of all occasions (44.5%) on conviction for a further indictable or either-way offence. That equated to 4555 such criminals walking free from court in 2024.

For super-prolific offenders – those with 26 to 45 previous offences – it fell to 42.1% with 9483 such criminals walking free from court in 2024.

More than a third of repeat knife-carriers also escaped jail sentences despite a 2015 law that they should be immediately imprisoned.