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More people have been murdered in London than in New York for the first time in history amid a spate of fatal stabbings in the capital.

Fifteen people were murdered in London in February, compared to 14 in the Big Apple.

London murders for March also topped the number in New York, with 23 and 21 carried out respectively.

A stabbing in the capital in the early hours of Easter Sunday brought the number of murders in London to 46 so far this year. And 31 of them were knife attacks.

The 20-year-old victim was attacked moments after leaving a bar just after 1am and died in the street in Wandsworth, south-west London.

(Image: SWNS.com) (Image: SWNS.com)

A 21-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: "Sadly, another family has been left devastated with the tragic death of a young man from an act of violence.

"We are appealing to anyone who was in the area to come forward.

"We know that the victim left a bar in Garratt Lane, SW18 at 1.05am and then seven minutes later he was found on Ellerton Road at the junction with Burntwood Lane."

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The murder came just days after two men were knifed to death within 12 hours of each other in the city.

Between March 14 and 20 alone, eight Londoners were murdered.

The latest horrific stats mean that - even excluding victims of terror attacks - the total number of London murders has risen a shocking 38 per cent since 2014.

London still had nine fewer total murders this year — 46 against New York’s 55 — and its total in 2017 was also lower. But the gap is closing annually.

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Both cities have similarly sized populations of around 8.5million people. New York City’s murder rate has decreased by around 87 per cent since the 1990s.

Jacob Whittingham, charity head of programmes for Fight for Peace, said: “What’s scary about London is the randomness of the crime.

“With young people in London, you have no idea if and when you may be the victim of a violent crime — that’s why they feel the need to carry weapons.”

Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick has blamed social media for rows escalating into violence.

Here are some of the victims who were killed in February and March as London's murder rate surpassed that of New York.

Seyed Khan, 49 - February 1

Police were called to Ilford Cemetery where the 49-year-old's body was found more than a week after he was reported missing.

He was from Thamesmead in south-east London.

Hasan Ozcan, 19 - February 3

The 19-year-old was stabbed in Abbey Road, Barking, east London, at about 10.11pm.

He was pronounced dead at the scene just before 11pm after being stabbed multiple times.

Kwabena Nelson, 22 - February 3

(Image: JMeyaaNelsonxo / Twitter)

The youth worker was stabbed to death when he was ambushed walking home in Haringey, north London, in the early hours.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as hypovolemic shock and multiple stab wounds.

Juan Olmos Saca, 39 - February 4

An investigation was launched after the 39-year-old was stabbed in the chest at a home on Atwell Road in Peckham, south London, at about 2.30am on January 29.

The victim, from Southwark, died in hospital on February 4.

Hannah Leonard, 55 - February 9

Emergency services were alerted after the victim was found stabbed to death in a flat in Fellows Road in Camden at about 10.30am.

The murder happened on the Chalcots Estate.

Sabri Chibani, 19 - February 11

The 19-year-old man collapsed outside a property in Hopton Road, Streatham, south London, after being stabbed in the chest.

Police were called at around 3.50pm and the teenager was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Bulent Kabala, 41 - February 12

Investigators believe the 41-year-old taxi driver, from Enfield, was fatally shot in the head and chest in a targeted hit.

Police were called to reports of shots fired just before 11.45pm to Mount Pleasant, at the junction with Edgeworth Road, in Barnet, north London.

Saeeda Hussain, 54 - February 13

Police were called after the victim was found with critical injuries at an address in Staines Road, Ilford, east London, on the evening of February 13.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Promise Nkenda, 17 - February 14

(Image: Facebook)

The 17-year-old was found dead in Goldwing Close, Canning Town, east London at about 8.40pm following a "sustained, targeted attack", say police.

A post-mortem examination revealed he died from stab wounds to the chest.

Mark Smith, 48 - February 15

Police were called after the 48-year-old was found in an unresponsive state in Garenne Court, Warren Road in Chingford, west London, at about 6.45am.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as multiple injuries.

Lewis Blackman, 19 - February 18

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Police found the teenager in Logan Place in Kensington, west London, after he had been stabbed in the chest at about 3.20am.

Officers were in the area after a number of vehicles had gathered following a party the victim had attended.

Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26 - February 19

The 26-year-old victim was fatally stabbed inside a property in the Halliday Square housing estate in Southall, west London.

Police were called to the estate at around 3.30pm to reports of a disturbance and found Rotimi with stab injuries.

Abdikarim Hassan, 17, and Sadiq Mohamed, 20 - February 20

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The two young men were stabbed to death in Camden, north London.

Hassan was knifed outside a shop at around 8pm.

Mohamed was found on the junction of Malden Road and Marsden Street just after 10.10pm.

Jozef Boci, 30 - February 23

The Albanian-born victim was beaten unconscious with blunt objects in Greenwich High Road, south-east London, in the early hours of February 17.

He died in hospital on February 23.

Joseph Williams-Torres, 20 - March 14

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The 20-year-old was found with a gunshot injury in Walthamstow, east London, at 9.30pm.

He died on the way to hospital at around 10.45pm.

Police believe the victim was in a stationary vehicle before a number of suspects approached and shots were fired.

Lyndon Davis, 18 - March 14

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The teenager was found with serious stab injuries in Chadwell Heath, east London, shortly after 10.30pm.

He was rushed to hospital but died at 1.16am.

Russell Jones, 23 - March 17

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Shortly before 12.40am, police were called when gunshots were heard in Enfield, north London.

The 23-year-old who had been stabbed and shot in an ambush outside shops was declared dead at the scene at 1.14am.

A second man in his 20s had suffered serious stab injuries.

Hersi Hersi, 36 - March 18

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The 36-year-old, who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead after being found with knife injuries at the Heathrow Palace hotel in Hounslow, west London, at 10.50am.

Her neighbours in Mill Hill, north London, said she was of Somali origin and had also lived in the US before returning to the UK.

Tyrone Silcott, 41 - March 18

The father-of-two died after he was stabbed after a St Patrick's Day party in Hackney, north London.

Detectives believe an initial dispute began at the party and spilled on to the towpath by the River Lea, where the victim was stabbed.

Balbir Johal, 48 - March 19

(Image: Police Handout)

The 48-year-old, from Slough, Berkshire, attended a west London hospital suffering a stab wound and died of his injuries just before 6.14pm.

Detectives believe the victim sustained his injuries following an earlier incident at Marlborough Road, Southall, near the junction with Brent Road.

Jermaine Johnson, 41 - March 19

The 41-year-old victim was found with stab injuries at about 9.50pm in Vallentin Road in Walthamstow.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Beniamin Pieknyi, 20 - March 20

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The 20-year-old died at Stratford Centre in east London after he was found with multiple stab wounds.

Detectives believe he and a friend were involved in an altercation with a group of young males.

Abraham Badru, 26 - March 25

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Emergency services were called at about 11pm after the victim was shot dead in in Ferncliff Road in Hackney.

He won a National Police Bravery Award as a teenager in 2009 for stopping a rapist.

David Potter, 50 - March 27

The 50-year-old was found stabbed to death in a property on Tooting High Street, south-west London.

Police were called at about 2.45pm after concerns were raised about a resident's welfare.