Police deal with spate of stabbings that leaves three victims in hospital
Detectives will address public meeting over rise in knife crime
30 January, 2018 — By William McLennan
A man was stabbed in the street in Camden Town
THREE young men have been hospitalised within the past five days after a spate of stabbings across Camden.
The attacks are not being treated as linked, but come ahead of a public meeting tonight intended to address concerns over rising knife crime.
In the latest stabbing last night (Monday) an 18-year-old took himself to hospital after being injured in Upper Woburn Place, near Euston Road, at around 8pm.
Shortly before midnight on Sunday, another 18-year-old suffered stab wounds to the chest, leg and arm after being set upon in Grafton Road.
Police believe he was attacked by two men who had arrived in a black VW Passat. The victim made his way to Kiln Place before collapsing. A member of the public came to his aid and alerted emergency services.
Both of their injuries have been described as “non-life threatening”.
On Wednesday a 27-year-old was stabbed in Bayham Street shortly before 9pm. He stumbled a few metres to Camden Road, before collapsing on the pavement outside bookmakers William Hill.
A public meeting will be held at Pax Lodge, Lyndhurst Road, tonight with police on hand to detail what is being to stop the rise in violent crime.
Camden has experienced a rise in serious youth violence in the past year. While it remains lower than the London-wide average, the spike has alarmed council leaders, who set up the Youth Safety Taskforce in December in address the issue.
Councillor Abdul Hai, who is co-chairing the taskforce alongside Holborn and St Pancras Labour MP Keir Starmer, said: “We have seen a rise in youth violence in Camden by 8 per cent. Across London it’s about 16 per cent. There have been too many incidents. What I want to do is make sure we work together to try to find a long-term solution to this emerging issue.”