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Theresa May paid a secret visit to a London borough hit by a spike in violent crime, but failed to visit the scene or meet with the families of victims.

The Prime Minister went canvassing in Waltham Forest, just two miles away from the centre of Walthamstow, where a 16-year-old boy was found suffering from gunshot wounds on Monday night.

He died on Tuesday evening.

Another boy, aged 15, was found with him suffering from stab wounds, which police say are no longer life-changing.

And today, a 20-year-old man was stabbed in broad daylight in the same borough.

Labour’s Stella Creasy declared it a “horrific and distressing attack” in a Facebook post this week.

Twitter pictures emerged at lunchtime of the Prime Minister visiting the area, knocking on doors ahead of May’s local elections.

The visit was not announced ahead of time.

Ms Creasy posted on Twitter: "If you can come to our borough looking for votes as you did today, Theresa May, the least you can do is hear our call for help to tackle the violent crime we are experiencing.

She attached a letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd , asking for an urgent meeting to discuss police funding in the borough.

A Conservative Party source claimed Mrs May was visiting Iain Duncan Smith's constituency of Chingford, a 15 minute drive away from the scene of the violence.

But posts by a local Conservative Party Twitter account placed her even closer, in Waltham Forest, just two miles and nine minutes' drive away.

A keen recreational walker, Mrs May could have made the distance on foot in a little over 30 minutes.

Earlier, London Mayor Sadiq Khan faced criticism not having met with victims of the spike in violent crime in the capital, or their families.

Asked if he had spoken to or visited families of the recent killings, the mayor said: "No, I have not spoken to the bereaved families. I have done in the past.

"I regularly speak to bereaved families and I will carry on doing so. I have attended funerals in the past because I think that's an important thing for me to do."

Tory Deputy Chair James Cleverly responded on Twitter, saying: "Sadiq Khan's shocking complacency just isn't good enough."