According to Donald Trump, crime in London is going “through the roof” and Sir Sadiq Khan is “among the worst mayors in the world”.
The US President’s remarks, made on Air Force One as he returned home last week from his second State visit to the UK, sparked an angry denial from the London mayor.
On Monday, Sir Sadiq went further by publishing new data showing a big drop in the the number of crimes that result in injury to victims.
But within minutes of the embargo lifting on Sir Sadiq’s media release, the Metropolitan Police’s specialist Trident gun-crime unit was investigating the late-night shooting of a woman in one of the most affluent streets in Walthamstow, in the heart of fashionable east London.
The woman, 36, was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. Scotland Yard said her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
The incident happened shortly after midnight in Howard Road, on the edge of Walthamstow “village” and opposite Walthamstow School for Girls.
The bullet was fired through a window of the house, one well-informed person told The Standard. Some residents reported hearing two gunshots.
Labour MP Stella Creasy urged the Met to provide information to reassure the community as rumours began to circulate online.
Walthamstow I understand and share concerns there was a shooting last night on church hill. I have asked police to confirm details of what happened and what action being taken in response as recognise a number of claims being circulated. Please await only confirmed information.
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) September 29, 2025
Police cars were seen parked in Howard Road – also home to the famous Howard Road House and its garden of knitted displays – on Monday afternoon.
A Met police spokeswoman told the Standard: “No arrests have been made at this stage. We understand this has caused concern in the community and there will be an increased police presence in the area.
“The incident is being investigated by Trident North East Specialist Crime Command.”
The Trident unit is deployed whenever there is a shooting, regardless of whether gang activity is suspected.
A Met spokeswoman said: “ We believe that the address in question was targeted and we have no reason to believe that local residents are at a future risk.”
In his press release, Sir Sadiq said that London has a lower murder rate than “all major US cities”, with the number of homicides – a definition that includes people convicted of manslaughter as well as murder – at a 10-year low.
But Sir Sadiq’s claims conveniently ignored two key facts that support President Trump – namely, that overall crime in London is much higher than when he first became mayor in 2016, and that knife crime has almost doubled over the same period.
The Standard has analysed crime data published by the Office for National Statistics since 2010.
This shows that total recorded crime in the capital – by the Metropolitan police and the City of London police – rose from 939,889 crimes in 2023/24 to 951,803 in 2024/25, a 1.3 per cent increase.
When total crime is compared with the level just before Sir Sadiq became mayor in May 2016, the rise is far more dramatic.
A total of 743,728 crimes were recorded in London in 2015/16. This means the annual total has increased in just under a decade by more than 208,000 offences – a 28 per cent jump.
Over the same period, the capital’s population increased by an estimated 327,500 people.
The number of homicides has fallen from 111 in 2015/16 to 104 in 2024/25.
But the number of serious offences involving a knife has increased almost 80 per cent from 9,086 in 2015/16 to 16,344 in 2024/25.
A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: “Since the mayor was elected homicides, violence with injury, burglary and gun crime are all down.
“Homicides of young people are also at the lowest level for more than two decades. This is significant progress, but there's still much more to do.”
The crime figures published by City Hall on Monday have yet to be verified by the Office for National Statistics. Its next release, covering the year to the end of June, is due on October 23.
Earlier this month, Sir Sadiq was faced anger from London Assembly members when he admitted he had known for almost a year about controversial plans to close 18 police stations in London to the public.
The City Hall figures have been gathered from Met police data by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.
These show that, in the 12 month period to August, violent crime leading to injury fell in all 32 boroughs served by the Met police.
Between September 2024 and August, there were 64,712 “crimes with injury”, down almost 12 per cent on the 73,461 recorded for the same 12-month period a year earlier.
According to City Hall, homicide, burglary and gun crime were also down significantly since Sir Sadiq first became mayor.
Referring to President Trump’s comments, Sir Sadiq said: “We’ve seen a number of politicians here and across the globe talking down London and spreading misinformation about crime and safety in the capital.
“Violent crime with injury is down in every single London borough and that is testament to the incredible work of our brave police officers - who are arresting more than 1,000 additional suspects each month and solving crimes that involve victims at double the rate they were a year ago.”
Met assistant commissioner Rachel Williams said: “We’re seeing real progress in the fight against violent crime.
“Violence with injury is down in every single borough - a clear sign that our approach is making a difference. Homicide is now at its lowest level in a decade, violent crime resulting in injury has fallen and firearms discharges are less than half what they were seven years ago.
“We’re targeting the most dangerous individuals, disrupting criminal networks, and investing in prevention to protect those most at risk. That’s why fewer people are being hurt, fewer lives are being lost, and London is becoming a safer city.”
Addressing suggestions of London being a “lawless city”, Sir Sadiq said on LBC radio last week: “The homicide rate in London – the murders in London – is 17 times lower than Chicago.
“The homicide rate in London is six times lower than Los Angeles. The homicide rate in London [is] four times lower than New York. The homicide rate in London is lower than Paris, Madrid, Brussels and other cities across Europe.”
“Violence with injury” is defined as crimes recorded by police where a violent act inflicts injury.
This includes crimes ranging from serious assaults to those that cause minor injuries. It also includes causing death by dangerous driving and attempted murder but excludes murder, manslaughter and infanticide (which are recorded as homicide).
By comparison, the wider category of “Violence against the person”, of which there were 237,218 cases in 2024/25, includes all police-recorded crimes of violence committed against a person, whether or not an injury has incurred. This excludes possession of weapons and public order offences.
Anyone with information about the Walthamstow shooting is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 74/29Sept. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
