Revealed: The Worst Places in London for Gun Crime

Revealed: The Worst Places in London for Gun Crime

Lambeth and Lewisham are the two worst London boroughs for gun crime, according to new data. The figures, revealed in a Freedom of Information request, shed new light on the rates of London shootings, but contain good news in that the total number of gun crimes have decreased.

According to figures obtained by International Business Times, 1,274 shootings were recorded across London’s boroughs between 2011 and 2013.

Lambeth had the highest number of shootings, with 113, followed by Lewisham with 80 and Newham with 77.

The individual ward with the worse record was Coldharbour, Lambeth, with 22.

Coldharbour resident Anthony Cuthbertson, who has lived in the ward since September 2012, told IBT: “In the first week I moved there a teenager was stabbed to death just around the corner from where I lived.”

“The area around Loughborough Junction where I was living seemed to be the most dangerous, with a double shooting happening in the neighbouring flat a few months later, and more reports of stabbings.

“Soon after I decided to move further down Coldharbour Lane, closer to Camberwell where it seems to be a bit safer. I’ve noticed a few of the local convenience stores on Coldharbour Lane have closed down in the last year or two and replaced by a small Tescos and a new Sainsbury’s, which might be a sign of gentrification.”

The figures do not include the ancient City of London, which has its own police force and records its own statistics.

Gun crime in London has decreased by half from 560 shootings 2011 to 294 in 2013. However, two boroughs, Haringey and Barnet, have seen an increase, with Barnet’s total doubling.

Kingston Upon Thames was the only borough that didn’t see a single shooting in 2012.

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