London murder rate now beats New York after surge of stabbings (Picture: Getty Images)

More people were murdered in London in February than in New York City.

UK’s capital overtook the US city’s murder rate for the first time ever after a 15th person was killed.

Murder investigation after 'particularly violent' stabbing near Manchester

That was compared to 14 deaths in New York.

And it doesn’t look like things will improve any time soon for London with March’s numbers also set to be higher.


There were 22 murders in London last month compared to 21 in the Big Apple, the Times reported.

The newspaper quoted figures from the Met Police.

Both of the popular cities have roughly the same population of 8.5 million people.



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Lewis Blackman was killed (Picture: Met Police)

Victim Promise Nkenda (Picture: Facebook)

Tragic Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo (Picture: Met Police)

Over the year New York City is still likely to have a higher murder rate but the stats still show a worrying trend in the capital.

Violence in London saw eight people murdered in a single week from March 14 to March 20.

Forensics tent at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Goldwing Close, Canning Town (Picture: PA)

Most of the killings in the capital have been stabbings and Met Police Chief Cressida Dick recently suggested the force planned to increase stop and search to counter this.

‘Victims’ parents all say, “Get out and do more”, she said.

‘So it’s one thing you’ll see in the next year. We won’t be held back by political correctness.

‘But it will be fair and irrespective of race.’

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Sabri Chibani was also killed (Picture: Met Police)

Abdikarim Hassan is one of the stabbing victims in London (Picture: Met Police)

Provider: Met Police

Mrs Dick also criticised social media for fuelling violence.

So far this year, 29 people have been knifed to death just in London, including Lewis Blackman, 19, Promise Nkenda, 17, Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo, 18, Sabri Chibani, 19, and Abdikarim Hassan, 17.

The fatal stabbings in England and Wales are at their highest levels since 2010-2011.

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