UK is becoming a WAR ZONE as BLACK deaths increase

[Anthea]

‘Teenage gunman’ shoots girl, 11, woman, 30, and two young men in attack in south London park sparked by ‘row between a gang of youths’

A large group of men were said to have gathered in Figges Marsh, Mitcham

Police have imposed an emergency 'stop and search' order while investigating

Among those injured in the incident was a woman and an 11-year-old girl

Four people, including an 11-year-old girl, have been injured in a pellet-gun attack in south-west London.

According to police, the incident took place in Figges Marsh, Mitcham at around 5:40pm on Sunday after a fighting broke out among a large group of men in the suburb.

Shots were fired and four people were injured, although none of their wounds were said to be life threatening.

Despite initial reports the gunman had a firearm, police later confirmed the teenage gunman actually opened fire with a pellet gun - hitting a woman, 30, and a young girl, 11, in the process.

An unnamed source told the Sun: 'A fight broke out between the guys. One of them ran away and came back with a long gun and started firing.

'A lady got shot three times and her daughter got shot in the leg by the pellets.

'We all got down on the ground to not get hit by the shots. It was a big gun but the bullets were pellets. He was running around with it. You could see it as he ran past us.'

Police revealed that the 11-year-old girl and older woman were rushed to hospital shortly after the horror incident.

The other two victims, said to be teenage boys, checked into hospital themselves and received treatment for their injuries.

Merton Police later tweeted that they had imposed an emergency Section 60 'Stop and Search' order until tomorrow morning in an apparent attempt to trace the weapon.

So far no arrests have been made.

'Section 60 in place in Mitcham until 06.55hrs Mon 25 March after reports of firearm discharged in Figges Marsh,' Merton Police said.

'Police called at 17.40hrs, woman & 11y/o child injured, neither in life threatening condition. No arrests/enqs ongoing Call 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Detectives are appealing for witnesses and anyone connected to an incident in which a pellet gun was fired in Mitcham to come forward.

'Police were called at 1740hrs on Sunday, 24 March, to reports of shots fired in Figges Marsh open space, off London Road, Mitcham.

'Officers attended the location along with London Ambulance Service (LAS).

'A 30-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl were found suffering shotgun pellet injuries. Both were known to each other, but are not related.

'They were taken to hospital by LAS for treatment. We understand the woman suffered pellet injuries to her back, and the girl a pellet wound to her leg. Neither is believed to have been seriously injured.

'A short time later, police were alerted to two males – both aged in their late teens – who had self-presented at a south London hospital suffering shotgun pellet injuries which are not believed to be serious.

'The investigation is being led by detectives from South West CID. There has been no arrest at this stage.

'A large group of males had been seen in the area prior to the shots being discharged and enquiries are ongoing to locate these individuals. Detectives are urging anyone in this group who has not yet spoken with police to come forward.

Link to Article - Photos:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ondon.html

[Anthea]

Schoolboy fights for life after being knifed
in broad daylight on south-east London street

A schoolboy is fighting for life after being knifed in broad daylight on a street in south-east London

Scotland Yard said it was called shortly after 4pm on Monday to reports of a stabbing in Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found a boy, believed aged 15, suffering a stab injury.

He was rushed to a south London hospital where he remains in a critical condition following the attack.

The victim's next of kin have been informed.

There have been no arrests.

Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge Ellie Reeves tweeted: "Extremely sorry to hear about the stabbing on Dartmouth Road SE23 this afternoon. I am in close contact with the police and my thoughts are with the victim who I hope has a speedy recovery from this terrible act."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/f ... 00536.html

[Anthea]

Isleworth stabbing: 'Loving, caring' boy killed after
chase by gang was 'trying to turn his life around'

The family of a teenager knifed to death in another weekend of bloodshed in London has told how he dreamed of being an engineer and was trying to turn his life around

Abdirashid Mohamoud, 17, was in Syon Park in Isleworth with friends on Friday night when a gang pulled up in a car and chased him before stabbing him in a nearby street.

Medics battled to save him but he died at the scene in Union Lane. He is the seventh teenager to be stabbed to death in the capital this year.

His killing came two days before a newsagent was fatally stabbed in suburban Pinner yesterday morning, taking the total number of killings in the capital to 29, with 12 so far in March.

Today, the teenager’s aunt Safi described Abdirashid as a “loving caring boy”, saying: “I spoke to him on the Saturday before he died. I said he had to sort his life out and that’s what he was doing, he was responding.

“He wanted to be an engineer. He was very bright and very cute when he was young. He had three brothers and two sisters and he was always the one saying they should be respectful to everyone.” She said that Abdirashid had been a pupil at Isleworth and Syon School, but had been excluded. The school did not comment today.

She said: “He loved sports and was very popular. The family have no idea why this happened. His mother is devastated, we all are. Young people need to lay down their knives.”

Detectives today appealed to anyone who was in the park at around 10.30pm on Friday to come forward.

The appeal came as friends of the shopkeeper killed in a robbery paid tribute to a “pillar of the community.”

The 54-year-old shopkeeper, named locally as Ravi, was knifed as he opened Marsh Food and Wine store at about 6am yesterday in what locals believe was a “planned robbery”.

Paramedics treated him at the scene but he died 45 minutes after he was attacked.

Friends and customers said the victim was originally from Sri Lanka and is said to have lived and worked in Pinner for more than 20 years.

Fellow shopkeeper Siva Lingam, who works at AVS Food and Grocery opposite, said: “We are all so sad. He was a very nice, quiet man. I can’t believe anyone would hurt him.

“This robbery must have been planned. They knew he was coming in early to do the Sunday papers. People must have been watching him and knew his routine.”

A customer said the victim, who is believed to be a father of two school-age children, was a “pillar of the community”. Another added: “He was an extremely friendly, polite and hard-working man. I have seen him delivering papers at the crack of dawn for over 20 years and he will be missed by the community.”

Detectives are searching for a black Vauxhall Astra that was driven away at speed down Cecil Park immediately after the attack. They added that they believe the victim was knifed by a man who robbed the shop and stole its till.

Local MP and policing minister Nick Hurd tweeted: “Deeply saddened to hear of a fatal stabbing in Marsh Road Pinner earlier this morning. It appears to be a case of a robbery that escalated.”

At least five other people were injured in knife attacks over the weekend. One, a 49-year-old man, remained critically injured in hospital today after being stabbed in Hackney at 3.15am yesterday.

A 13-year-old boy was knifed in St Matthew’s Road, Brixton early yesterday morning and on Saturday evening at 10.30pm two young men were found stabbed in Harrow Road, Westminster.

Earlier on Saturday a man in his twenties was taken to hospital after he was stabbed in High Street, Barkingside.

None of their injuries were said to be life-threatening.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/i ... 00291.html

[Anthea]

Blackheath stabbing: Man 18 repeatedly
knifed on South-East London street

A man was rushed to hospital this evening after being repeatedly knifed in South-East London

Police were called to reports a man, 18, was being threatened with a knife in Blackheath this afternoon.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene in Thyme Close shortly before 3.30pm on Tuesday.

The victim was found suffering from several stab wounds, Scotland Yard said in a statement.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition where his injuries were later deemed not life-threatening.

There have been no arrests, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said.

A cordon is in place however there is limited disruption to access to the road.

Officers will remain in the surrounding area for a number of hours while initial investigations are under way.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/b ... 01696.html

[Anthea]

Teenager slashed outside police station
among six hurt in day of knife violence

Six people have been stabbed in a day of violence in London as fears grow over spiralling knife crime across the capital

A young man was stabbed in Kidbrooke, a teenager was slashed outside a police station in Tottenham, another was knifed in Barking and an 18-year-old was attacked with a blade in Tooting.

Two men, aged 20 and 26, were also knifed in Hounslow. Police were working to establish if the incidents were connected.

Four of the six stabbed in the city on Tuesday were teenagers.

The attacks came on the same day the country’s top police officer Cressida Dick warned that youth knife violence is at the worst level she has ever seen.

A young man, believed to be 18, was knifed repeatedly after being threatened in Kidbrooke, near Blackheath, shortly before 3.30pm. His serious injuries left him fighting for life but his condition has since improved, Scotland Yard said.

A 26-year-old was stabbed several times in an attack in Beaversford Park, Hounslow at about 4.30pm. One man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and remained in custody last night.

The victim was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers attended a second incident in the same west London borough at about 5pm. A man, 20, was treated for a slash wound at the scene in Rosemary Avenue.

A teenage boy was also slashed in the face metres away from a north London police station. The boy, believed to be 17, was attacked in High Road, Tottenham, at about 6.05pm.

Officers said the boy was attacked by a Betfred shop.

Blood was being cleaned from the pavement outside a taxi office opposite Tottenham Police Station, around 160 metres down the road.

An officer at the scene said a man had received facial injuries after "an altercation between two young groups", and that the two cordons were linke

The boy was treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service staff, who assessed the injury to be non life-threatening, and taken to an east London hospital

The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, Scotland Yard said.

Police later confirmed a 17-year-old was stabbed in Barking at around 7pm and an 18-year-old man had been attacked in Tooting at around 9pm.

Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to hold a major summit in Downing Street on April 1 aimed at tackling the problem.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said the last few years "undoubtedly have been the highest and most worrying levels in my service".

She added: "If you look at stabbings of young people I do think this is a new and tragic and worrying phenomenon."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/l ... 01781.html

[Anthea]

Teenager is shot dead and man in his 30s is stabbed in the head in separate incidents as London bloodbath continues

Metropolitan police were called to scene in Friar Mews, West Norwood, at 4pm

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to police station

Man was stabbed in head in Cheam in Sutton, south London, around same time

A teenager was shot dead and a man in his 30s was stabbed in the head in separate incidents in London today.

Two men have been arrested after the fatal incident in Friar Mews, West Norwood, at around 4.10pm. He was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene at 4.45pm.

Ten miles away in Cheam, Sutton, at almost exactly the same time, a man in his 30s was stabbed in his head. His injuries are non-life-threatening.

Police have confirmed that a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson said: 'Detectives are investigating following the fatal shooting of a male in Lambeth. Two males have been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to south London police stations for questioning.

'He is believed to be aged in his late teens. Officers are in the process of informing his next of kin.'

CCTV has been recovered and is being reviewed by the force's Homicide and Major Crime Command.

DNA samples were taken from the scene and are due to be examined, police said.

Link to Article - Photo:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... tion-small

[Anthea]

Shocking moment woman is barged into path
of London bus in unprovoked attack in Pimlico

This is the shocking moment a woman narrowly avoids being run over by a bus as she is shoulder barged into the road in a horrifying assault in central London

The victim, aged in her 60s, was pushed by a woman who was in the company of two children at the time of the unprovoked attack on Vauxhall Bridge in Pimlico.

She was standing at the traffic lights waiting to cross when the suspect barged her into the road causing her to smash into the passenger doors of the bus.

Detectives investigating the assault released CCTV on Wednesday of the shocking incident, which unfolded shortly after midday on May 29 last year, as they appealed for information.

The victim suffered a cut to her head, grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees in the attack. She was also left “deeply affected emotionally,” police said.

Before the incident, the same woman had barged the victim and engaged with her in a verbal exchange in a Tesco Express in Warwick Way.

Officers released an image of the woman they are trying to trace in connection with the assault.

Detective Constable Samantha Edwards who is leading the investigation said: "This was an unprovoked assault which could have had much more serious consequences.

"A number of enquiries have been undertaken to locate the person responsible.

"If you recognise this woman I would ask you to contact police immediately.

"It goes without saying that he victim has been deeply affected emotionally by this whole incident."

Link to Article - Photo:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/s ... 01806.html

[Anthea]

Knifemen mingled with mosque
worshippers after stabbing man to death

Two knifemen mingled with unsuspecting worshippers at a London mosque to escape police after stabbing a young man to death

The suspects “washed their faces and feet” alongside members of the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park, before changing clothes in a toilet and fleeing.

Witnesses said the two men ran into the mosque complex to hide moments after the fatal stabbing in Cunningham Place, near Lord’s cricket ground, at 6.15pm last night.

The victim, in his early 20s, was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards. He is the 31st person to be murdered in London so far this year.

A friend described him as “a beautiful human being” who was originally from Kosovo. He had allegedly been living in fear of trouble after an argument over a girl.

The victim in his 20s died after being rushed to hospital

The two young attackers in hoodies were allegedly seen walking calmly away after the attack.

Armed police swiftly swooped on the mosque, with hundreds of worshippers told they could not leave as the building was locked down and searched.

Bahir Moulana, 39 said: “The police arrived and everyone just stormed in. People weren’t allowed to come out and in.

The suspects washed their faces and hands alongside worshippers before changing clothes and fleeing

“No one knew what was going on so everyone panicked and got out of the mosque.”

A security guard, who did not want to be named, said today: “They came in the front, they run in. After seconds or minutes, I don’t know, the police come in and go inside as well.

“We saw in the camera them changing clothes in the toilet area, one of them had a backpack and one of them had a side bag.

The victim is the 31st person to be stabbed to death in London this year

“They change from hoodies into shirts and trousers and throw the other clothes on the floor. The police have those.”

The security guard said the two suspects, who he described as young white men both with long hair, also “washed their faces and feet” alongside other worshippers.

Early today, riot police were seen entering a block of flats 50 yards from the mosque.

Bangs and shouts could be heard from inside Macmillan House, on Lorne Close, before a riot officer came out onto a balcony to give the all clear.

The officers left about half an hour later, without making any arrests. A witness to the original attack in Cunningham Place described how the young man was stabbed then tried to run away before collapsing.

One said: “He was wounded but tried to run. I saw him on the ground it was a terrible sight. He wasn’t speaking. He had run for his life. “

The witness described how two young men in hoodies walked calmly away leaving the victim laying bleeding to death.

The witness, who lives on the estate, said: “They pulled up their hoods and walked calmly away as nothing had happened. They did not run, they were ice cool.

“They turned into a side road estate and that was the last I saw of them.”

A friend of the victim said: “He lived with his mother and father and had two brothers. He was a beautiful human being they are all lovely people.

“There had been problems between him and someone else over a girl. He had been worried about it and was watching his back.

“He came from war in Kosovo only to be killed in London. It’s a tragedy for his lovely family.”

The Islamic Cultural Centre said in a statement: “The incident was in no way connected to the Mosque, the area surrounding the mosque and Regents Park was searched for the suspects.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his family right now."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/r ... 04186.html

[Anthea]

West Norwood shooting:
man shot dead in South London

This is the first picture of a 25-year-old man who was shot dead in south London earlier this week

Ramane Wiggan, from Tulse Hill, was killed in West Norwood on Wednesday.

The victim was shot in the chest on a third-floor walkway on a housing estate in Friar Mews.

Police and paramedics were called at around 4.10pm.

Medics and bystanders battled to save him but he died at the scene 30 minutes later.

His next of kin have been informed.

A post mortem examination found the provisional cause of death to be a gunshot wound.

Two 27-year-old men were arrested on suspicion of murder but have been released on bail to a date in late April.

Inquiries are ongoing, and police urged members of the public who saw the shooting or have information or dash cam footage to come forward.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/w ... 04901.html

[Anthea]

Clapham Common: Man in his 40s
stabbed to death outside Tube station

A man in his 40s has been stabbed to death in broad daylight outside a Tube station following a car crash

Police and the London Ambulance Service raced to the scene in Clapham Park Road, just outside of Clapham Common station, at about 2.30pm after receiving reports of a stabbing.

Paramedics battled to save the man, but he was pronounced dead shortly after they arrived.

The stabbing is the third violent death in three days in the capital, after a teenager was shot in West Norwood on Wednesday and a man was knifed in Regent's Park on Thursday.

A witness told the Standard how he rushed to the victim's aid.

Steven Oladipo, 27, raced to help after seeing the crashed car, but said it was clear there was "no hope" for him.

Mr Oladipo, who helps manage a performing arts academy for children, said he and a friend saw a car crashed into a lamp post outside the Belle Vue pub.

He said people had assumed it was a car crash but he thought "it looked like something else."

"I saw a gentleman slumped in the car. The driver’s window was smashed and the front passenger door was open.

"He was bigger than me – maybe 6ft1 or 6ft2. There was no hope for him.

"A motorcyclist – I think a delivery man – also tried to help, but it was the policeman who pulled him out the car.

"I just wanted to help because this whole thing has turned into an epidemic."

Following the stabbing, a house nearby on Venn Street was cordoned off by police with an officer seen standing outside. It is understood a weapon was recovered nearby.

Deputy general manager at Clapham Picture House, Dan Hawkins, said they had to close the cinema for the night following the closure of Venn Street.

The 37-year-old said the assailants allegedly ran down the road after the attack.

Tommie Santala, 37, manager of Honest Burgers on Venn St, said he had been told by police that they weren't allowed to leave the building.

He said that some of his customers had seen people "with crow bars and rods running past the restaurant."

A witness, who asked not to be named, said he believed the victim was attacked while sitting in a car.

He said: “I’ve been told that someone has been stabbed in a car, by about two or three people”.

Another witness told the Standard they heard a "crash" before the man stumbled into the road.

They said: "I heard a crash and I walked towards the noise and saw a car had hit into the traffic pole, but I don't know what happened.

"The passenger walked into the road and the ambulance came and they tried to do CPR [on the man] and the driver was sat in the seat".

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "A man aged in his 40s was found suffering from stab wounds. Despite the efforts of paramedics he sadly died at the scene.

"The victim's next of kin have not yet been informed.

"At this early stage there have been no arrests.The Homicide and Major Crime Command are aware. A crime scene is in place."

The Met said they are working to establish the circumstances of what happened.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/m ... 04801.html

[Anthea]

Suspects in Chatham assault
arrested by Echo pub in Gravesend

At least two suspects in an assault have been arrested by police outside a pub - in a town 10 miles away from the attack

Please click to enlarge:


At least half a dozen officers were spotted outside the Echo pub in Echo Square in Gravesend this evening.

Police had tracked down the suspects of an assault in High Street, Chatham, which happened at about 4.15pm this afternoon.

Some time later, officers tracked down the suspects in Gravesend, where they were arrested.

Two men can be seen sat against the fence to the pub garden on Whitehill Road on the approach to the square.

No one is reported to have suffered any injuries as a result of the assault.

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/ ... ub-201745/

In Kent, where black crime is on the increase, police are still able to catch the thugs

In London, where black crime is so prevalent, police stand little chance of catching the thugs

[Anthea]

Knife crime:
I'm living on the edge, says student

Young black men under the age of 25 are the group most likely to be victims of knife crime

Speaking in simple statistical terms, they are also most likely to be prosecuted for knife crime

It's a very real worry for the students of Newham Sixth Form College, who have organised an awareness day on the issue.

Each of them has been affected by knife crime or the threat of it in some way.

Clyde, 19, had a friend who was killed in a stabbing outside the McDonald's where he works nights.

'Open my eyes'

"He was eating and chatting to me. He said goodbye and left, and then there was this fight outside. We were told to stay inside.

"When I came back the next day I heard that someone had been stabbed fatally and it was him. He was 23."

Clyde says: "Now I feel like I am living on the edge.

"It made me open my eyes more about how I should be aware of what's going on in my environment."

"Just before this, one of my friends got mugged for his phone. No-one did anything. No-one came to help," he adds incredulously.

Another student, who did not wish to be named, says in a rather matter-of-fact way that a couple of his friends have been stabbed.

He feels it has become so common that it is now treated like burglary by the police.

Where he lives in north Woolwich, "it's not too bad," he says.

"But places like Beckton, are really dangerous because there are lots of gangs there."
'I'm not a bad kid'

So he tends to stay away, he says.

But his friend Menelik, 17, says: "I can't stay out of it because I live there.

"I've learned to mind my own business."

His parents encourage him to be careful making friends.

All these three students say they have been stopped and searched numerous times by the police.

One of them says he has been searched 16 times in four different areas.

"God knows why," he says. "I am not a bad kid."

The experience seems to have frightened him at first.

"Then I thought, I have nothing on me, and I figured out what to do.

"They thought I was carrying drugs," he says.

Dress code

They all express irritation at the experience, especially since it made them late for college and work, but they seem resigned to it.

Menelik says he feels he was searched on the basis of what he looked like: "Most boys of our age wear the same thing - a tracksuit and a jacket.

"More time it's because we are doing sport," he says.

Clyde says the stereotypical representation in the media of young black men as perpetrators of crime upsets him.

"It bothers me the way the media focuses on the characteristics of a person who may go into crime - it's always the typical black male - rather than looking at what the police are doing."

He's not the only one dissatisfied with society's response to burgeoning rates of knife crime.

Philleen, 17, says the police need to "step up" and deal with the issue.

There are Metropolitan Police officers from the partnership and protection team taking part in the event, informing the students and engaging them in debates.

But on the streets, Philleen feels the police can be a bit too aggressive and would like to see "safe havens" in the community.

"There should be more places to run to," she says.

"Honestly on a Saturday and a Sunday, and on Friday afternoon after the college is closed, there's nowhere for us to go."

Daniela, 18, says: "It's a big issue for us to trust the police."

And it sounds like the trust issue permeates into relationships with people of their own age too.

"We are afraid to make new friends and meet new people," she says.

"Last week, a girl was stabbed in the park just for being there."

The young women at the event seem palpably shocked by the recent stabbing to death of Jodie Chesney in east London.

Sharnaly, 18, says when she heard the news of the killing she thought it could have been her.

"To be honest, I don't feel safe in the streets when there are no people.

"I worry about someone coming up with a knife. I know there would be nothing I can do."

Nicoletta, 17, is also fearful but, like the other students at the event, she feels awareness is the answer.

"People carry a knife because they feel they would be safer. If someone comes down and they're in danger and then they pull the knife.

"They can either kill or be killed in a moment."

College Principal Mandeep Gill is proud of the students' campaign.

"They have first-hand experience of how it impacts their lives, outside college, but they also know how you can do things to make it safer in their environment."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47582713#

[Anthea]

Knife crime: More stop
and search powers for police

Police in England and Wales are being given greater stop and search powers to tackle rising knife crime

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is making it easier for officers to search people without reasonable suspicion in places where serious violence may occur.

It comes after fatal stabbings rose last year to the highest point since records began.

Campaigners said the move was "disappointing and regressive" and that stop and search is "not effective".

Stop and search powers have been controversial for many years, with evidence that they are frequently misused and that they target black people disproportionately.

But Mr Javid said: "The police are on the front line in the battle against serious violence and it's vital we give them the right tools to do their jobs."

The change is being trialled in seven police force areas where more than 60% of knife crime occurs: London, the West Midlands, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Wales and Greater Manchester.

It makes it easier to use so-called "section 60" searches, where officers can search anyone in a certain area for a limited period of time to prevent violent crime

Under the new rules, inspectors will be able to authorise the use of section 60; currently, more senior officers have to give approval.

There will also be a lower threshold for authorising searches - police will only need to reasonably believe serious violence "may" occur, not that it "will".

Section 60 has been used at large events such as Notting Hill Carnival last year and after violent incidents such as the stabbing of a man outside Clapham Common Underground station on Friday.

Other powers which account for the majority of searches will remain the same, and will still require officers to have reasonable suspicion of an offence.

With 285 deaths from stabbings in 2017-18, the most ever recorded, and a spate of high-profile killings this year, ministers have come under increasing pressure to tackle knife crime.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said officers in London had increased the use of section 60 over the past 18 months, following 132 deaths from stabbings in the capital during 2017-18.

She said: "Stop and search is an extremely important power for the police. It is undoubtedly a part of our increasing results suppressing levels of violence and knife crime."

But Katrina Ffrench, chief executive of StopWatch, which campaigns against excessive use of stop and search, said: "This decision is a disappointing and regressive move, which is about politics not saving lives."

Removing the need for reasonable suspicion "will not only exacerbate the racial disparity, but has the potential to further damage the relationship between the black community and the police," she said.

A study for the College of Policing looked at ten years of stop and search data in London and found it to be "inconsistent" and "weak" as a deterrent.

In order to reduce violent crime by 2% in a borough during the following week, police would need to carry out 200 times the number of weapons searches, it said.

The extra powers roll back a key change made by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2014 when she was home secretary.

She introduced a revised code of conduct after an inquiry examined thousands of police searches and found 27% may have been illegal.

When misused, stop and search was "an enormous waste of police time" and "an unacceptable affront to justice", she said.

Reflecting on the recent announcement, the prime minister said the powers were "an important tool in the fight against knife crime".

Partly as a result of the 2014 changes, the use of stop and search fell in England and Wales from a peak of 1.4 million ten years ago to 277,378 last year.

The numbers of searches fell for every ethnic group, but ethnic and racial inequality has grown. In 2014-15 black people were four times as likely to be searched as white people, while in 2017-18, they were 9.5 times as likely to be searched.

Young black men under the age of 25 are the group most likely to be victims of knife crime.

Speaking in simple statistical terms, they are also most likely to be prosecuted for knife crime.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47760645

[Anthea]

Police aren't stopping and searching
people due to political correctness

Are police making enough use of stop and search powers in a bid to tackle knife crime

Knife crime is increasing because officers are afraid of a "politically correct witch-hunt" if they use stop and search powers, an MP said.

Tory Philip Davies (Shipley) said there had been a decline in the use of stop and search powers because police officers fear a backlash if they do so.

MPs also heard warnings of the "utterly horrific" treatment of girls in gangs after Tory former minister Sir Christopher Chope asked why so many perpetrators and victims of knife crime appeared to be male.

Speaking during an urgent question, Mr Davies added: "It can't be a coincidence that that has coincided with a huge surge in knife crimes and people who have been killed through knife crimes.

"Can the minister give me some assurance that we will go back to trusting the police officers to get on and do their job in the way that they know best without them fearing some kind of politically correct witch-hunt if they decide to stop and search someone that they think is worth stopping and searching.

"We must trust police officers to do the job, to keep us safe, because they know better than anybody in this House what needs to be done."

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins replied: "Stop and search is a vital tool in the police's armoury in keeping people safe on our streets. We absolutely want to give confidence to our officers that they have this power and that they can use it in accordance with the law.

"Interestingly, the rate of arrests arising out of stop and searches has increased in recent years with this intelligence-focused approach but it remains a vital tool and the police have our absolute confidence should they choose to use it within the law."

Sir Christopher (Christchurch) later said: "Will this knife crime summit be examining the issues to why so many of the perpetrators are male and the victims are male and relatively few are women?"

Ms Atkins said: "I would just urge a note of caution in that we know that, sadly, girls are involved in gangs as well.

"Indeed, the youth workers and former gang members I meet have very much emphasised to me that girls are beginning to be ensnared in these gangs as well and the ways in which some of these girls are treated by those gangs is utterly horrific and beyond most people's imagination, so we need to support those girls who are ensnared in gangs as well."

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/cr ... -1-9667571

[Anthea]

Four stabbed in 'random' knife attacks

Police are searching for a knifeman after four people were stabbed in a spate of "random" attacks in north London over the weekend

A woman and three men were all approached from behind and knifed in the back as they walked alone in Edmonton and Walthamstow.

Police said each victim appeared to "selected at random" for being "alone and vulnerable" in the potentially linked attacks.

Two are in a critical condition

The Metropolitan Police said the attacks are not believed to be terror-related. A man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH but police say inquiries continue to establish if he is the person behind the attacks.

The first attack was on a 45-year-old woman who was hurt in Aberdeen Road at 19:02 GMT on Saturday. She remains in a critical condition in an east London hospital.

Four hours later, a man was stabbed in Park Avenue half a mile away. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Police believe the third attack happened less than a mile away in Silver Street.

The victim, a 23-year-old man, was found injured at Seven Sisters Tube station at about 04:00 BST. He is in a critical condition in hospital.

The final stabbing happened at 09:42 in Brettenham Road, Walthamstow. Police say a man has been taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries.

Detectives said they were searching for a skinny black man about 6ft 3in tall and wearing dark clothing.

'Acting alone'

Extra officers are on the streets to keep the public safe, a spokesman said.

Det Ch Insp Stuart Smillie said: "Police are treating the incidents as potentially linked. The four victims are all from different backgrounds and appear to have been selected at random due to them being alone and vulnerable. He has approached from behind without warning.

"We are working on the hypothesis that the single male suspect is acting alone and mental health issues may be a factor."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47765914