You're much safer in London now – just watch your phone

The idea of a “lawless London” where knifemen stalk the streets and no one feels safe - has become a popular refrain in viral clips and political rhetoric on both sides of the Atlantic.

- John Simpson & Becky Pinnington

The evidence, however, tells a different story: murder and manslaughter rates have dropped to their lowest level since 2003.

New data from the Metropolitan Police, shared by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which brings together agencies across London to tackle violence through early intervention, shows knife crime per capita dropped 12% in the period from January to August 2025, compared with the same eight months in 2024. And while the summer months would typically see a troubling spike in youth violence, this year no teenagers or young adults were killed during the holiday period.

Lib Peck, head of the VRU, says: “London is a safer city than many European cities and most of the cities in America.”