ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

A leading trauma surgeon treating victims of gun and knife crime in London has told of the surge in patients suffering from injuries that have been inflicted "with intent to kill".

Duncan Bew, of King's College Hospital, said young people are carrying weapons "because they are afraid" and feel "like they have to protect themselves".

And he said the majority of injuries he sees are caused by "improvised weapons or household cutlery" rather than so-called Zombie knives.

His comments come amid a surge in violent crime in the capital. Earlier this month the number of murders in London so far this year surpassed that of the whole of 2017.

The clinical director for trauma and emergency surgery told the Standard that there has been a steady increase in violent injuries since 2014.

He added that, over the past 18 months, he has noticed a 50 to 75 per cent increase in injuries by firearms.

The average age of patients coming into King’s College Hospital is around 25, but there has been an increase in younger patients aged between 11 and 16.

Of the victims he treats, Mr Bew said that “the majority of young people are actually carrying a weapon because they are afraid and because they feel like they have to protect themselves”.

He added that he has seen a change in the types of injuries suffered by victims of violent crime.

Mr Bew said that the patterns of injury has shifted towards patients "suffering multiple injuries instead of one injury" and "having injuries in more places that are difficult to treat".

And there has been a "change in intent to kill rather than maim somebody."

He added: "There's the perception that zombie knives are predominant in injuries however that's not the case, the majority of injuries that we see are improvised weapons or household cutlery."

Mr Bew is also a trustee at Growing Against Violence, a charity that provides public health training and education for young people in schools.

He said that violent crime can be tackled by working together to create an environment in which people feel safe.

“There is a huge opportunity for everyone to work together to make a huge difference by creating safe environments in which young people can thrive and by having an inclusive approach to young people and by really addressing the needs that they have,” Mr Bew said.

A survey of young people by the Youth Violence Commission found that 50 per cent of young people thought they would not call the police if they felt unsafe.

Mr Bew said: “They genuinely felt unsafe in their local community and even in their own home and at least 70 per cent of those people will have witnessed serious violence at least once a month in their lives, so they actually saw someone being subjected to significant levels of violence.

“It means that there is a wall of silence between young people and the police and we need to address that.”

He said that the interruption of violent crimes has to be done in a “culturally credible way” and in partnership with communities.

“It must be done by listening to young people and finding out their specific fears and problems are because different boroughs in London have different patterns of violence.

“If you look at the boroughs that have the highest levels of homicide, they’ve got worse every year, year on year, at the same time they’ve got poorer year on year, whereas the richest boroughs have got richer.

“There’s something about that stark disparity, not just between boroughs but even between people living on opposite sides of the street from one another that’s created such a catalyst for violence.”