Amber Rudd was criticised for blaming violence on social media instead of huge police cuts (Picture: Getty)

The government faces criticism for blaming the soaring number of murders in London this year on social media, while the Tory government is responsible for taking thousands of police officers off the streets.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Internet companies needed to step up their response to youth violence after a spate of murders in London, just hours before two more people were violently killed last night.

A man in his 20s died after being stabbed on Link Street in Hackney, east London, at just before 8pm, bringing the total number of suspected murders in the capital so far this year past 50, the Metropolitan Police said.

In the same borough just hours earlier, a man in his 50s died outside a bookmakers in Upper Clapton Road following a suspected fight, the Met said.

The attack has added to the UK’s soaring rate of knife crime, with fatal stabbings in England and Wales at their highest levels since 2010/11.

Last year it emerged there were 20,000 less police officers on the streets since 2010.

The victims of fatal stabbings and shootings across London so far this year – some victims are yet to be pictured or identified (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

The scene in Link Street and Morning Lane, Hackney, east London after a man in his 20s died after being stabbed on Wednesday night – becoming the 50th person killed on the streets in London this year (Picture: PA)

The Home Office said violent videos posted online by gang members glamorised criminality and incited violence for young people.

A spokesman said: ‘The instant nature of social media also means that plans develop rapidly and disputes can escalate very quickly.

Murder investigation after 'particularly violent' stabbing near Manchester

‘The government, voluntary sector and other partners are working with social media companies to ensure measures deliver real results and raise the level of online safety for users.

‘We are clear that internet companies must go further and faster to tackle illegal content online.

‘It is already an offence to incite, assist or encourage violence online and we will continue to support proactive operational police action to tackle offences perpetrated online.’

But Amber Rudd faced a backlash for loading the blame on the internet while presiding over cuts that have seen a rapid decline in police officer numbers in London.

Falling police numbers have left forces unable to cope with the rising tide of violence, critics said.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd is launching a Serious Violence Strategy next week in response to the spate of murders (Picture: Reuters)

The chairman of the Met Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, told ministers ‘enough is enough’ and they must find the cash to beef up policing.

Ken Marsh said while some of the blame should go to social media firms ministers must concentrate on properly funding the police which are at ‘breaking point’.

He told Mail Online: ‘They need to focus more on us and stop trying to pin it on others.

‘Social media is a problem, but it is not the problem we are talking about – which is funding policing correctly.

‘Cops have been taken from the streets, put into specialist roles and reduced the numbers – without the visibility on the streets then you can’t carry on policing London the way we were.

‘How on earth can we expect us to do the same job with 5,000 fewer police officers?’

Eight murders occurred in London in one week in March (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

The government expects to launch its Serious Violence Strategy for tackling serious violence next week which is expected to include a review into how social media ‘can drive violent crime’ the Home Office said.

At the weekend Britain’s most senior police officer warned that trivial disputes online can escalate ‘within minutes’.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick told The Times: ‘There’s definitely something about the impact of social media in terms of people being able to go from slightly angry with each other to “fight” very quickly.’

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan – who has himself faced criticism for the recent surge in killings in the Capital – said police cuts have cost the capital thousands of officers.

‘It’s time for the Government to stop misleading the public and properly fund our police,’ he said.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has himself faced criticism for rising violence in the capital (Picture: PA)

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told Metro.co.uk: ‘The Mayor is deeply concerned by violent crime in the capital and every life lost is a tragedy.

‘Sadiq wants every Londoner, regardless of age or background, to feel safe in our city.

‘That is why, in the face of Government cuts, he has invested an additional £110m in the Met police force, put extra dedicated Ward Officers into every neighbourhood, made knife wands available for every secondary school and college and launched a £45m fund to help young people at risk of getting caught up in crime.

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‘The Mayor has been clear that he backs the targeted use of intelligence-led stop and search, and has been consistent on this.

‘We all agree that cops count. He calls on the government to increase funding so we can all work at this together.’