Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the latest teenage stabbing in Islington, said:
"Over the last few years a widespread and generalised mistruth has built up that knife crime is now somehow under control.
“Sadly the harsh reality is that knife crime has increased across London.
“It is time for the Mayor to take his head out of the sand and to accept the seriousness of London’s knife crime problem and for the Met to start putting effective policies in place to protect our young people.”
Writing in an article on the MayorWatch site, Caroline further commented:
"Sheridan Mangal, the chairman of A Better Way Partnership, an organisation which works closely with police and other organisations to tackle gang violence in Waltham Forest has publicly said that there has been an escalation of knife crime in recent months in his part of London.
"He believes the Met’s and the Mayor’s claims that knife crime is falling has no bearing on reality.
"It’s certainly hard to argue with him."