As the mayor of London prepares to head up a gangs summit at City Hall today, new figures show how nearly 1,000 young people in London were stabbed or shot last year. 

The figures released by London Ambulance Service (LAS) and compiled by the Greater London Authority (GLA) show a total of 973 people aged under 25 were treated for knife or gun wounds in 2013. 

The majority of injuries (850) were caused by knives, with 123 people suffering gunshot wounds in incidents said to be linked to gang activity.   

In Waltham Forest, there have been 124 knife and gun shot related injuries since March 2013 and 71 in Redbridge.

The highest cluster of incidents took place in Forest ward in Walthamstow and Grove Green ward in Leyton.

In Redbridge it was Clementswood ward. 

On April 29, more than 300 police officers took part in an operation targeting the south Leytonstone gang Loyal Soldiers.

But according to Borough Commander Mark Collins, gang-related volience in the borough "is nothing compared to what it was in 2010."  

The Met estimates gangs  are responsible for approximately 22 per cent of serious violence, 17 per cent of robbery, and half of all shootings committed in London. 

According to the Mayor's Office, the number of teenage murders has fallen from 29 in 2008 to 12 last year. 

Boris Johnson said: "London has turned a corner with gang crime and serious youth violence down in the capital but I recognise we have more to do.

This is about taking a nose to tail approach - not just looking at an endgame, with young people already involved in criminality and the criminal justice system.

"We also want to show our young people that there is a choice. Their energy, ambition and ideas are key to the opportunities our city has to offer and we can work with and support them to develop their full potential."

The international summit in London today will set out a new strategy for tackling gang crime including a more consistant and sustainable gang exit offer across London. 

There is estimated to be 3,495 identified gang members in London and around 224 known criminal gangs, according to Trident. 

A total of 93 per cent of gang members had a previous sanction, such as conviction, caution, warning or reprimand. On average a gang member would commit their first offence at the age of 15 and commit a total of nine offences throughout their lifetime.