Cuts to police budgets are driving rising violent crime, Britain’s most senior police officer has said, following another murder in London.

A 24-year-old man was stabbed to death in Barking on Thursday night, hours after a 16-year-old boy was killed during disorder in Birmingham.

The bloodshed came in the wake of official statistics that revealed a 22 per cent rise in knife crime across England and Wales, with the tide of violence turning scrutiny on reductions in police funding and the number of officers.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, said her force was recruiting 500 extra officers using a £110m boost to the force's budget announced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Asked whether funding cuts were to blame for the spike in violent crime during an LBC Radio call-in, she added: “We are definitely seeing an increase and I think there's lots of reasons for it.

“There's a connection to the drugs markets and what's going on with those, undoubtedly.

“Obviously, some changes in people's financial and economic circumstances that affect all kinds of things which have a direct or indirect effect on young people.

“We are seeing the glamorisation of violence, we are seeing social media being used to taunt other gangs, to bring violence about very quickly.

Violent knife fight erupts on Victoria line in London

“There's a whole load of things, but of course I would be naive to say that the reduction in police finances over the last few years, not just in London but beyond, hasn't had an impact.

“I'm sure it's had an impact. It's part of the issue, and that's why I'm very grateful for the new money that we've got, which we are getting on and investing on recruiting new people and I think it will help.”

The government has announced initiatives including a serious violence taskforce and £1m extra funding for charity programmes steering young people away from gangs.

But its first-ever Serious Violence Strategy was heavily criticised for omitting findings from a leaked Home Office document suggesting that budget cuts had “likely contributed” to rising violence and “encouraged” offenders.

The last stabbing came in Barking at around 11.30pm on Thursday. Police gave the 24-year-old victim first aid before paramedics arrived but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made and police are appealing for information.

Mr Khan called the killing “devastating news”, adding: “The Met will do everything they can to bring the criminals responsible for this senseless death to justice.

“There is no honour in staying silent. To stop stabbings and violent crime, we must work together.”

More than 60 people have been murdered in London so far this year but violence has not been confined to the capital.

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed in the street in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, on Thursday.

The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Show all 21 1 /21 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo Oluwadamilolda Odeyingbo, 18, was killed in a fight in Chislehurst on 10 January 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Hasan Ozcan Hasan Ozcan, 19, was stabbed to death on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking on 3 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Sabri Chibani Sabri Chibani, 19, was stabbed fatally in the chest in Streatham on 11 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Promise Nkenda Lord Promise Nkenda, 17, was stabbed to death in Canning Town on 14 February 2018 Facebook The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lewis Blackman Lewis Blackman, a 19-year-old rapper from Kentish Town, was stabbed to death in Kensington on 18 February 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Abdikarim Hassan Abdikarim Hassan, 17, was stabbed to death near his home in Camden's Peckwater estate on 20 March - less tahan two hours before another man was stabbed to death nearby Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Kelvin Odunuyi Kelvin Odunuyi, a 19-year-old rapper known as DipDat and Lampz, was shot dead in Wood Green on 8 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Lyndon Davis Lyndon Davis, 18, was chased down and stabbed to death in Chadwell Heath on 14 March Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Tanesha Melbourne-Blake Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Tottenham on 2 April PA The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Amaan Shakoor Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot dead in Walthamstow on 2 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Israel Ogunsola Israel Ogunsola, 18, was stabbed to death in Hackney on 4 April Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton, a 17-year-old rapper and aspiring architect, was shot dead in a Kennington Street on 5 May Handout The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jordan Douherty Aspiring rapper Jordan Douherty died of his injuries outside a birthday party in Romford on 23 June Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Katrina Makunova Katrina Makunova, 17, was stabbed to death in Camberwell on 12 July 2018 Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Latwaan Griffiths 18-year-old Latwaan Griffiths was fatally stabbed on 25 July and died in hospital after being thrown off the back of a moped in Camberwell Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Guled Farah Guled Farah, 19, was shot in Walthamstow on 22 September Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Ethan Nedd-Bruce Ethan Nedd-Bruce, 18, died after he was shot outside a party at a flat in Greenwich, south-east London, on 22 October. He had also been stabbed, but the gunshot wound was the cause of death. Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Jay Hughes Jay Hughes, 15, died was fatally stabbed outside a chicken shop in Bellingham, south-east London, on 1 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Malcolm Mide-Madariola Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was found suffering from a stab wound outside Clapham South Tube station on 2 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 John Ogunjobi John Ogunjobi, 16, died in front of his parents after he was stabbed in Greenleaf Close, Tulse Hill, on 5 November Metropolitan Police The teenagers murdered in London in 2018 Aron Warren Aron Warren, 18, was found stabbed in a flat block in Greenwich on 8 December and died at the scene Metropolitan Police

He was found gravely injured following disorder in the town centre, where police have mounted extra patrols.

On Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest in the Moss Side district of Manchester.

He remains in a serious condition in hospital after running into a house for refuge and collapsing. An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault.

The reasons behind rising violence have been the subject of fierce debate. A report by the government cited drug dealing and social media as key drivers last month, but police have called for more funding to turn around the loss of thousands of officers and voluntary groups have attacked cuts to youth services.

The Metropolitan Police claims its "gangs matrix" database helps prevent violence but an Amnesty International report criticised it as racially discriminatory and ineffective.

On Friday the Home Office announced charities could bid for a share of a £1m fund to help steer young people away from gangs and violent crime.

Successful groups will receive up to £30,000 each to educate teenagers about the dangers of carrying weapons, with the pot available increased from an initial £765,000 announced last year.

Victoria Atkins, the crime minister, said 47 charities across the UK had already benefited from the community fund, including the London-based Ben Kinsella Trust and the Coventry-based Positive Youth Foundation.

“Knife crime has devastating consequences for families and local communities and we are determined to provide necessary support for those most at risk,” she added.