GUN crime offences in Waltham Forest have surged by 51 per cent in the last year, according to Scotland Yard.

The Met Police's statistics showed there were 106 gun crime offences from April 2016 to April 2017 compared to 70 offences from 2015 until 2016. 

Knife crime also soared increasing by 34 per cent with 384 recorded offences from 2016 to 2017. 

Scotland Yard registered annual rises across a number of serious offence categories in Waltham Forest over the past 12 months.

Knife crime offences resulting in an injury also increased, by 22 per cent to 155 from 2016 to 2017, compared to 127 offences the year before.

Robbery in the borough is up 10 per cent from the year before, with 651 offences, while sexual offences also jumped 12 per cent with 539 offences recorded.

Islamaphobic hate crime is up 16 per cent while fraud offences soared by a staggering 46 per cent from the previous year. 

Topping the theft charts in Waltham Forest were bicycle thefts, which increased by 41 per cent, with 397 recorded thefts in 2016 to 2017.

The borough can call itself a hotspot for bicycle thefts, with it rising nearly three times the rate of London's 14 per cent increase.

The most notable reduction revealed by The Met's statistics is drug crime, which dropped 38 per cent with 870 offences, compared to 1,411 offences the year before.

Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: "Similar to the rest of England and Wales, crime rates in London are rising, but many of these are still at a much lower level than five years ago and are against the backdrop of significant reductions in resources. 

"We are concerned about the rise of gun crime and rise of knife crime offences committed by young people and the changing nature of the offenders.

"Young people carrying knives are doing so for a variety of reasons including status, criminality and self-protection but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs. 

"Whilst we continue to focus on reducing stabbings by taking weapons and dangerous offenders off the streets, prevention and diversion from knife crime is key.

"There are complex social reasons why more young people are carrying knives and this cannot be solved by the police alone, we must work with communities to help combat knife crime."