Gun crime in Wandsworth has risen by more than 60 per cent in the last year, according to official Metropolitan Police figures.

During the 12 months leading up to October this year there were 103 incidents involving guns within the borough boundary – equating to more than two a week.

This compares with just 64 gun-related incidents during the previous 12 months meaning the increase is a shocking 62 per cent.

To put this into context there has been a fall of 17 per cent in gun crime offences in London as a whole.

The figures compare poorly to Wandsworth’s neighbouring boroughs who, aside from Richmond where the figure is up by 12 per cent, have seen a marked decrease in the crime over the same 12-month period.

In Merton gun crime is down by 40 per cent, in Lambeth it is down by 32 per cent, in Kingston a fall of 25 per cent, while in Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham the figures have dropped by 61 per cent and 57 per cent respectively.

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan, who is also the Shadow Justice Minister, said: “These figures are extremely worrying.

“It is important that all crime is properly investigated with offenders being caught, prosecuted and given appropriate sentences. Too many residents have been the victim of gun crime and they want to know that the police have the appropriate  resources to detect these frightening crimes so dangerous perpetrators are properly punished.”

In Wandsworth, in the same 12-month period, there were a total of 25,963 crimes compared with 23,041 the year before – an increase of 12 per cent.

This bucks the London-wide trend because figures in the capital which have generally fallen from 813,497 offences to 792,818 a decrease of 2.5 per cent.

Chief Superintendent David Chinchen, Wandsworth’s borough commander, said: “Between April 1 and November 18 the borough has recorded 65 offences of gun-enabled crime compared with 38 in the same period during 2011. This comprises two occasions where firearms have been discharged and caused injuries, both of which were air weapons.

“Twenty-nine occasions in which firearms were seen and/or used to threaten victims.  Thirty-four occasions in which the existence of a firearm was intimated but not confirmed.

“This is an increase of 71 per cent. We have currently detected 17 per cent (11) of the offences this year (charged or cautioned offenders).”

To read further about crime in the borough, including a ward by ward breakdown, visit  www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/