Frontline organisations fighting violent crime in London have highlighted the role of drugs in contributing to the surge in violence.

The London assembly police and crime committee on Thursday met with a number of organisations working to tackle the surge in violent crimes in the capital.

So far this year 62 murders have been recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

The panel were unanimous that drugs is one of the major proponents of violent crime in London and needs to be dealt with.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Southworth, head of Trident and area crime command for the Metropolitan Police, said: “We need a vital change in attitudes towards drugs because it is not the people taking drugs that are the ones suffering from drug production.”

He cited an incident he dealt with where a drug dealer was recently prosecuted for murder.

He said: “White middle-class people do not realise that their drug dealer might be a killer in waiting.”

There was also a strong focus on how people dealing drugs across “county lines” was increasing the drug trade in London.

The “county lines” phenomenon involves criminal gangs setting up drug dealing operations in places outside their usual operating area.

The Government’s first-ever serious violence strategy was released in April this year.

It identified “county lines” as a driver of violence because of turf wars between drug gang rivals.

Inspector Jack Rowlands from the Metropolitan Police described how drug gangs are involving children in the drug business.

Mr Rowlands said that children are often used as drug mules and are bribed to do things that they don’t want to do when they get involved with drug dealing gangs.

He added that charges have recently started to be brought against people in London bringing young children into drug dealing gangs.

Powers under the Modern Slavery Act are being now being used successfully to prosecute members of county lines gangs, with the first convictions secured at Swansea Crown Court in December 2017.

He said: “We really are aware that there are young people who are drawn into this life through no choice of their own.”

Darlington Mutsekwa, who works for youth group Ignite Trust in Harrow, emphasised the need to help create opportunities for those working in the drug business.

He said: “Some of the people running those businesses are very creative and business minded. I would like to see more creative opportunities for those people, other businesses that are willing to get involved with young people and get them off the street.”