A London Assembly member wants parties to work together to combat the increase of violent crime in the city in the wake of an urgent enquiry into the constant bloodshed.

David Kurten, UKIP London assembly says cuts in police numbers are one of the major factors for an increase in violent crimes in the city

This week saw a spate of violence across London and police have now launched an urgent probe into the situation.

The London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee said it wants answers about why the increase in violence was happening.

Mr Kurten, however, believes that instead of looking at the root causes of violent crime politicians – particularly those from the Labour and Conservative parties – are “busy blaming each other” for cuts in police numbers.

He said: “There is no substitute for having enough police officers and whilst central government cuts are partly to blame Sadiq Khan could also use resources more wisely.

“The police force has been cut to the bone and there isn’t enough community policing which tackles crime prevention anymore.”

The UKIP assembly member also said police cuts, combined with two other factors had given rise to a surge in violent crime over the last few years.

He added: “A high percentage of perpetrators are from black and ethnic minority communities because of issues of family break-down there.

“People are coming in to London from Somalia and the Congo, places of extreme violence. This is bringing a whole new level of violence into the UK that’s having a corrosive effect on communities where it’s spreading.”

These two issues combined with policing cuts have created a violent storm in London, he believes.

But Mr Kurten said he had no concrete evidence to back up both his theories apart from speaking to people “on the ground.”

He said that it is something he will be looking into in the future.

According to police figures, 62 murders have been recorded by the Met so far this year, of which 39 involved knives and 10 were gun-related.

In the first three months of this year 45 murders were recorded, compared to the first quarter of 2017 when there were 23.

Tory Assembly member Steve O’Connell, chairman of the Police and Crime Committee, said today “enough is enough.”

He added: “Where is the evidence that the Mayor’s new taskforce is working? Did the Met take its eye off the ball on gun-related crime? Londoners deserve urgent answers.

“We need to unite and say this senseless killing must stop. We cannot have a summer of violence and bloodshed. The Mayor and the Met need to prove they can stop this surge.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told the Evening Standard: “The Mayor is doing all he can to compensate for the failure of ministers.

“City Hall is investing an extra £110 million in the Met to keep police numbers as high as possible, and has also set up a new £45 million Young Londoners Fund to help tackle the causes of violent crime and support young people to turn away from criminality.

“Sadiq refuses to accept that nothing can be done to stem the appalling tide of violent killings we are seeing on our streets.”