Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 1 February 2023.

• £246.5m of Pension Credit unclaimed in London each year

• Thousands of eligible households missing out on up to £3,300

• Older Londoners across capital to receive targeted letters on how to apply

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, together with London boroughs, is today launching a new campaign to ensure older Londoners are not missing out on receiving all of the Pension Credit that they are entitled to during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Unclaimed Pension Credit is estimated to be worth £246.5 million in London alone, with eligible households each missing out on up to £3,300.

The Government provides Pension Credit to people of state pension age on low incomes. In addition to providing extra money for older Londoners on low incomes, receipt of Pension Credit also unlocks a range of further support, including with energy and council tax bills.

The Mayor has funded a campaign in partnership with welfare and data analytics company Policy in Practice that will see approximately 5,700 eligible older Londoners in 22 London boroughs get letters about the Pension Credit they are entitled to but not claiming. Boroughs have provided information relevant to their residents to ensure the letters reflect local circumstances and services on offer.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on households across our city with the burden of rising prices often being felt particularly keenly by older Londoners.

“Many older Londoners may not know they are eligible to receive Pension Credit or how to claim it, which is why we are letting them know what they are entitled to and how to apply as part of my commitment to build a better and more prosperous London for everyone.”

Cllr Claire Holland, London Councils’ Executive Member for Communities, said: “The cost of living in London is rising, with energy bills, rent and food costs at record highs, so we know being able to top up their pensions will make a difference to thousands of older Londoners on low incomes. Using boroughs’ local knowledge and existing relationships with residents, we hope to have a substantial impact on pension credit take-up in the capital.”

Sir Stephen Timms MP, Chair, Work and Pensions Select Committee, said: “I warmly welcome the Mayor’s initiative, and this imaginative approach to identifying people entitled to Pension Credit.  Parliament has agreed that eligible pensioners should receive this extra help.  It is very important – especially in the current cost of living crisis – that those who are entitled to Pension Credit should actually claim it.”

Deven Ghelani, Director of Policy in Practice, said: “We are very proud to be a part of this campaign, using the power of data to change people’s lives. It is great that the Mayor of London and London Councils have taken this joint approach, backed by Age UK, to make a difference to their older residents as they grapple with the cost of living crisis.

“With around £19 billion of benefits remaining unclaimed nationally each year,  the scaling up by London of a data-driven targeted communications campaign for Pension Credit is a great start. It is an example of how councils across the country can use their data to improve the financial resilience of their residents.”

Abigail Wood, CEO, Age UK London said: “Age UK London’s research last year showed that one in four older Londoners are living in poverty so it’s incredibly important that everyone who’s eligible for Pension Credit knows about it and is supported to apply for it. Many older Londoners are missing out on vital financial support that they’re entitled to and will help them to make ends meet during the cost-of-living crisis.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 30 January 2023.

• £110m City-Hall funded vehicle scrappage scheme launches today, almost double the funding available for previous ground-breaking schemes
• Whilst the Government has provided scrappage funding in other cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Bristol and Portsmouth, they have not provided any funding for the capital
• Biggest ever scrappage scheme will support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities, sole traders and businesses with fewer than 10 employees
• Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to £2,000 to scrap their non ULEZ-compliant cars or motorcycles, as well as bus and tram passes
• Businesses, charities and sole traders can apply for grants of up to £9,500
• Mayor also announces host of ULEZ support offers for subscriptions, rentals and purchases of cars, bikes, e-bikes and vans to accompany the scrappage scheme.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched the biggest scrappage scheme ever – £110 million – to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees to replace or retrofit their old, polluting vehicles.

To accompany the scrappage scheme, the Mayor and TfL are also announcing a host of ULEZ support offers from businesses, including additional exclusive offers for successful applicants of the scrappage scheme. This will enable Londoners to benefit from discounts on subscriptions, rentals and purchases of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, cars and vans from companies including Brompton, Enterprise and Santander Cycles.

It follows the Mayor’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year, which will mean five million more Londoners will be able to breathe cleaner air. Already around 94 percent of vehicles seen driving in inner and central London, and 85 per cent of vehicles seen driving in outer London meet ULEZ standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers will not need to pay. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods will help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare.

Sadiq launched the scrappage scheme today at the Felix Project’s warehouse in Enfield. The Felix Project collect surplus food from suppliers and redistribute it to charities, tackling both food poverty and food waste. He met recipients of the past scrappage schemes, organisations supporting the scheme through ULEZ support offers and retrofit solutions, and organisations representing groups who will benefit from the scheme.

Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to £2,000 to scrap their non-compliant cars or motorcycles. As a new feature, successful applicants can choose to receive a higher value package comprised of up to two free annual bus and tram passes and a lower cash grant.

Disabled people who want to scrap or retrofit a non-compliant wheelchair accessible vehicle will be able to apply for grants of £5,000 to reflect the higher cost of these vehicles. Disabled people can also apply for a nominated driver who lives at a different address if they do not drive themselves.

Charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees registered in London can apply to scrap a van (£5,000 grant) or a minibus (£7,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (£5,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (£7,500 or £9,500 grant respectively).

In addition to the scrappage scheme, the Mayor has listened to Londoners and is providing further support for disabled people, through new and extended grace periods. Applications for the new grace periods also open today and the Mayor is encouraging everyone who is eligible to apply.

The two new grace periods provide exemptions until October 2027 for recipients of certain disability benefits (or their nominated driver) and for all wheelchair accessible vehicles and some vehicles with other adaptations. The grace periods are available to all eligible people or a nominated driver regardless of whether they live in London, and they will apply to the current ULEZ zone as well.

The new disabled benefits grace period means that anyone who receives benefits that automatically make them eligible for a blue badge will also qualify for the new grace period. More Londoners currently claim benefits that would make them eligible for this grace period than currently hold a blue badge.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I took the difficult decision to expand the ULEZ because it will save lives, help tackle the climate crisis and reduce congestion. We have made huge progress in central and inner London but there is much more to do in outer London.

Clean air is a fundamental human right – and everyone deserves to breathe clean air including those in outer London. Around 4,000 Londoners are dying prematurely each year due to toxic air, with the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in London’s outer boroughs. It is causing people to develop life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma, and leading to children growing up with stunted lungs.

“We need to get the most highly polluting vehicles off our roads, which are damaging the health of all Londoners, including drivers. The rising cost of living has been a key consideration for me, which is why we are launching this new and improved scrappage scheme – the biggest ever – to help low-income and disabled Londoners, businesses, sole traders and charities switch to cleaner vehicles, or support them to make the most of other transport options.

“The health of Londoners must come first and I know that expanding the ULEZ London-wide, alongside this £110m scrappage scheme, will help us to continue building a greener, fairer and healthier London for everyone”

Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: “Any premature death and disease linked to poor air quality is unacceptable. Pollution is a silent and indiscriminate killer that is disproportionately blighting the outer London boroughs, which is why we are expanding the ULEZ across the whole of the capital.

“Londoners are already choosing public transport, walking and cycling for the majority of trips and the Mayor’s new scrappage scheme, the largest of its kind, will support more people to get rid of their highly polluting vehicles and make the switch to greener travel.

“£110 million has been made available to support those Londoners that need it most to get rid of the dirtiest vehicles. These grants will play a significant role in ensuring smaller businesses, those on low incomes, disabled people and charities are fully prepared ahead of the expanded zone coming in later this year.

“In addition to the scrappage grants, we are offering options for annual bus and tram passes as well as teaming up with other organisations to provide incentives that make it easier to travel more sustainably. This includes exciting offers from our partners, such as bike hire subscriptions, e-scooter discounts and car club deals. We would encourage drivers to take advantage of these fantastic ways to get around for less.”

Rachel Ledwith, Head of Community Engagement at the Felix Project said: “We welcome the help the Mayor is providing to smaller charities with the scrappage scheme and hope it is taken up by as many charities as possible. Many of the organisations who rely on food donations from The Felix Project expressed concerns about the ULEZ extension as it meant higher transportation costs. These are very small organisations who survive on small budgets. I hope the scheme will benefit them and allow them to make positive steps to help London’s environment whilst reducing their transport costs.”

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said:  “The Mayor is taking bold action to cut the toxic fumes we breath every day – fumes that sit behind the premature death of thousands of residents in Barking and Dagenham and across London.

“The Mayor’s scrappage scheme is a welcome step, but we need Government to step up and support those without deep pockets to transition to cleaner vehicles, like they have in other cities. I’m repeating my calls on them to match the Mayor’s ambition by supporting outer London boroughs, like mine, to make the change at the same time as getting through the cost of living crisis.”

Dr Kush Kanodia – Disability Rights Champion said: We are delighted and welcome these changes from the Mayor of London and Transport for London. I started the campaign 2 years ago which called for further reasonable adjustments for disabled Londoners from ULEZ.

Disabled people have already been the most disproportionately impacted from austerity, the pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis. Climate action must go hand in hand with climate justice and social justice, to prevent further increases in poverty and inequality in our society.

I now call on the Mayor of London, National Government & City leaders to replicate the further reasonable adjustments for disabled people from ULEZ. Creating a standardised and compassionate policy for all the new clean air zones, from Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth & Newcastle, to all future cities in Sheffield & Manchester.”

Jim Blakemore, Founding Partner, Bikeworks said: “We’re a not-for profit social enterprise, using bikes to deliver services as well as delivering cycle training to adults and schoolchildren. We had a diesel van that we used for moving bikes around – it was intermittently working and we wanted to upgrade to a less polluting and more efficient van. I’d heard of the ULEZ scrappage scheme and applied. It was incredibly simple: as soon as we’d officially scrapped the old van, we could claim the money and we bought a brand-new Euro VI van – and it works wonderfully.”

Rebecca Dickinson, Charity co-ordinator, Friend in Need said: a charity that supports older and vulnerable people in the community. We have an activity centre open two days a week and we use our buses to pick them up and take home. For a lot of them, it’s the only opportunity they have to get out of house – they join us for activities, games and a home-cooked meal. We have two minibuses and the scrappage scheme allowed us to replace the older bus with a newer one, which is a lot more economical and unlike the old one, can be driven by anyone with a regular driving licence. It has been a godsend and has allowed us to expand our services, for instance offering escorted shopping. It’s definitely something that NGOs with affected vehicles should take a look at.

James Colquhoun, Mortlake Plumbing and Heating said: “We’re a domestic plumbing and heating business. In 2021 we scrapped three vans that weren’t ULEZ compliant. As a business we have to manage our overheads carefully but the grant makes a ULEZ-compliant van more affordable. The process of scrapping the vehicle is very easy – there’s a basic set of procedures to hand in the documentation and then you get the grant. It was slick. If people have non-compliant vehicles that they’re using in the zone every day, this is too good an opportunity to miss.”

Dan Parsons, Co-Founder and Head of B2B, Fully Charged said: “Since 2014, we at Fully Charged have had the mission to better the lives of Londoners through cleaner transport solutions for individuals, families and businesses – and we welcome the expansion of the ULEZ. Working with our industry-leading e-bike and electric cargo bike suppliers, we are excited to support the TfL scrappage scheme as a way to further encourage and incentivise the transition to greener transport and better air quality to benefit all of London.”

Mark Cooper, Head of Business Development and Sales UK at HJS Emission Technology, said: “We are delighted to be working with Transport for London and local business groups, offering fully accredited Euro 6 retrofit solutions for a wide range of Euro 5 light vans and commercial vehicles.

“The retrofit conversion is fully compliant with the stringent emissions requirements of the expanded London ULEZ, and will offer an alternative to thousands of light commercial vehicle owners who would otherwise be facing daily ULEZ charges or looking at purchasing a newer vehicle. Our product delivers an 80 per cent reduction in NOx emissions, making a major contribution towards improving the capital’s air quality.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 27 January 2023.

• Mayor and London boroughs successfully work with broadband companies to provide faster broadband across the city
• More than 700 public buildings including libraries, youth centres and hostels will be upgraded to provide better services and increase local connectivity 
• New planning guidance to be published to require full fibre in all new buildings later this year  

Fibre broadband connectivity in London is now at 50 per cent in London up from 4 per cent in 2017 thanks to the Mayor’s policies and his work with boroughs and broadband providers.

In 2017 the Mayor delivered on a Manifesto commitment for better broadband for Londoners by creating the first Connected London team at City Hall to support London boroughs and network operators sign legal agreements for full fibre and gigabit capable infrastructure roll-out.  In 2017 only two boroughs had these agreements in place, this currently stands at 24 boroughs with the remainder expected to sign by 2025.

City Hall estimates that upwards of £1.5bn infrastructure investment has been unlocked through negotiating these complex agreements.

Full fibre broadband means that homes can access speeds of up to a gigabit per second – more than 10 times faster than some speeds available on legacy copper connections. These faster speeds mean homes can support more devices at the same time, with much better reliability and performance.

The Mayor has focussed an additional £10 million pounds on areas with low rates of connectivity, like Enfield, Harrow, Hounslow, Kingston and Sutton who together account for just 4.16% of all full fibre available in London.

To meet London’s current and future connectivity needs, London’s Tube tunnels are hosting a new Connected London high-capacity fibre optic network. This is not only delivering 4G and 5G for Tube passengers, but creating a backbone of connectivity which is reaching further into areas of the city historically under-served by the market.

The network will take fibre directly into London’s neighbourhoods, creating new opportunities for business and domestic usage with gigabit-capable speeds that will support digital inclusion and future growth.

This network will be linked to a planned 728 public buildings, like libraries, youth centres, community buildings and hostels which will improve the service they can provide.

These are currently delivering gigabit connectivity to public buildings which then act as a gateway to surrounding residential and commercial areas.

Later this year the Mayor will be publishing guidance to the new London Plan adopted in 2021 requiring all new homes and developments to have fibre and mobile connectivity from day one. This represents one of the strongest digital connectivity policies in the UK.

Chief Digital Officer for London, Theo Blackwell MBE, said: “Huge progress is being made connecting hundreds of thousands of Londoners to hyperfast broadband thanks to dedicated work from local councils and telecoms companies. Homes across London are being connected to full fibre and we’ll see this grow even further with TfL’s ground-breaking 20-year partnership with BAI Communications.

Every night crews are out laying London’s new full fibre network across the Underground. This is delivering 4G and 5G for Tube passengers, but perhaps more fundamentally creates a backbone of connectivity which is reaching further into areas of the city historically under-served by the market.  Up to 2017 City Hall was limited to handling out vouchers to businesses for high-speed connections, but through ambitious collaboration this has changed and new investment is now benefitting Londoners directly.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 26 January 2023.

• The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has teamed up with best-selling video game Minecraft for the launch of his 2023 Design Future London Schools Challenge.
• The Schools Challenge takes place in the new London Minecraft World, where the Mayor makes a special appearance as a non-player character.
• Young Londoners will design sustainable changes to a Minecraft version of Croydon town centre and submit a two minute video entry.

The Mayor of London and chair of C40 Cities, Sadiq Khan, has joined forces with the bestselling video game of all time to encourage young Londoners to pursue future careers designing a better London for everyone.

The Mayor’s 2023 Design Future London Schools Challenge will take place in the new London Minecraft World, a partnership between City Hall, Microsoft’s Minecraft Education and C40 Cities. Young Londoners will use their creative design skills to create sustainable changes to a Minecraft version of Croydon town centre.

The Mayor makes his virtual debut as a non-player character, introducing the game to young Londoners and challenging them to make sustainable changes to the busy hub of the south London borough.

Students will produce a two minute video of their Minecraft creations and explain their vision of a greener Croydon.

Free licenses for Minecraft Education are available to all schools, colleges and universities in London. Faith groups and youth clubs are also invited to get involved.

The Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe CBE, is launching the challenge at University of East London today, where more than 300 students are taking part in a three day design sprint based on the challenge.

The challenge builds on a pilot which took place last year and involves a series of partners including Croydon Council, Mayor’s Fund for London and MOBIE founded by architect and TV presenter, George Clarke.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It was an honour to join the Minecraft family to launch the Design Future London Schools Challenge to young Londoners. The London Minecraft World is a fun and engaging way for young Londoners to think critically about the built environment, collaborate with friends and peers, and be creative in showcasing their vision for the capital’s future.

“I can’t wait to see the brilliant ideas that come out of this challenge and wish all young Londoners taking part the very best of luck with their entries.”

Mark Watts, CEO of C40 Cities, said: “We can’t create a green future without the ideas and leadership of young people. Schools Reinventing Cities offers a unique, engaging opportunity for kids and teenagers from around the world to learn about science-based city climate actions and to reinvent their own city, street by street. C40 Cities is thrilled to work with Minecraft Education and the Mayor of London to help students redesign Croydon, sharing their best and boldest ideas with their teachers, school mates and policy makers, and empowering them to imagine the next generation of good, green jobs to aspire to have access to. I can’t wait to see what they will come up with, celebrate their creative energy, get inspired and support them in building the future they want”.

Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, said: “I’m delighted to be partnering with the Mayor of London and C40 to bring free Minecraft Education licenses to schools across London. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to support the Mayor’s agenda for sustainability and education, and to encourage young people to reimagine the places they live. I can’t wait to see what the students create.”

Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education, said: “Students from around the world have amazed us with their creativity in designing sustainable solutions for their communities in Minecraft build challenges. We are thrilled that through this partnership with The Mayor of London and C40, we will connect these ideas directly to the leadership of London. The Design Future London challenge will empower students with an understanding of how climate change is impacting Croydon, inspire their thinking on future green careers, and show city leaders what kind of city they want to grow up in. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!”

Theo Blackwell MBE, Chief Digital Officer at the GLA, said: “Games can teach important soft skills like creativity and collaboration, but most of all are fun! I’m delighted that the Minecraft London is partnering with the Mayor to bring games into education to design greener and more inclusive spaces.”

George Clarke, Architect, TV presenter and founder of MOBIE, said: “The homes and neighbourhoods of the future will be lived in and created by today’s young people. That is why I am delighted to be part of the latest Design Future London young persons’ challenge with the Mayor and Minecraft Education. Last year we saw some amazing designs created by very talented young people, including many that used Minecraft to produce incredibly imaginative home designs.

“I cannot wait to see the inspirational, future thinking buildings and places that young Londoners come up with this year. I have no doubt we will discover some extraordinary design talent and unleash creativity and imagination across the capital. I really hope the challenge will inspire young Londoners to pursue careers in the built environment, so they can be part of helping to shape the future of this great city.”

Jim Minton, CEO of Mayor’s Fund for London, said: “The Mayor’s Fund for London’s focus is on broadening access to career development opportunities for all young Londoners, so we are really pleased to be working with the GLA on the Design Future London Challenge. We’ve engaged built environment employers from our networks, who are championing change to make the sector more inclusive and open, as mentors for young people in our Access Aspiration schools network (schools with above average pupil premium rates). Corporate mentoring will open those young people’s eyes to potential careers in urban regeneration and town planning, provide a rich learning experience and inspire young people who last year might not have had the confidence to enter this Challenge, to do so this time around”.

Professor David Tann, Dean of the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering at the University of East London (UEL), said: “We’re delighted that our creative, talented and hardworking students will be taking part in this exciting challenge. This competition will equip our students with the multidisciplinary skills they need for their future careers, where they will play a vital role in shaping new technologies, improving infrastructure and developing sustainable practices and policies.

“Our students have the potential to change the world and the work they do can improve the lives of real people and make positive impacts on the cities we live in. I cannot wait to see what incredible designs they come up with.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 26 January 2023.

• New City Hall funded Leadership Academy to be funded for all Met leaders and line managers to raise standards across the Met Police service

• Additional resources to boost Met call handling and improve the service provided to Londoners who call 999 and help the force out of HMICFRS Special Measures

• New investment to support the Met Commissioner’s plans to reform and turn key recommendations from Casey review in action

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today set out proposals for £14.2million of new funding to raise standards, improve performance and rebuild the trust and confidence of all of London’s communities in the Met Police service.

The funding – part of the Mayor’s 2023/2024 budget proposals – would be used to support the Met’s ‘Turnaround Plan’ which sets out how the force will achieve its mission to rebuild trust, reduce crime and improve standards over the next two years.

Nearly £12million of the proposed new investment from City Hall would be used to support the Commissioner’s drive for higher standards in the Met, including the creation of a new Met Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy would provide enhanced training for Met leaders and line managers, strengthening their capability to ensure the high standards expected by policing and the public are achieved. This action is a key part of the Met’s recently announced Turnaround Plan and the renewed focus on modernising training and developing a strong cohort of leaders in every policing department across the capital.

The Leadership Academy will also empower Met leaders to identify officers whose performance is not meeting the high standards set and give them the training to tackle issues around discipline and performance more effectively. This includes improving the working environment for all officers and staff and taking action against officers with “repeated or patterns of unacceptable behaviour” in support of key recommendations from the interim Baroness Casey review.

The investment will also include increase the number HR staff within the Met to better support Met leaders and line managers to tackle performance and standards issues at source, accelerating the work the Commissioner is leading on to make the Met a workplace where everyone is supported and proud to be a part of.

A further £2.5million from City Hall would be used to improve the training and resilience of the Met’s Command and Control Centre (MetCC), which handles more than six million emergency calls and online queries from the public each year. This action follows the findings of the HMICFRS PEEL inspection, which found that the Met needed to improve how it responds to calls from the public.

The Mayor’s funding proposals are part of a package of measures designed to support the Met to exit Special Measures as quickly as possible and to accelerate the root and branch reforms and systemic change to the Met’s performance and culture.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m determined to continue doing everything in my power to make policing in London better and to support the work that has started to deliver the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve. This means empowering the Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to reduce crime further, raise standards, and restore trust between the police and the communities the Met serves.

“To do this we need strong leaders in the Met who not only acknowledge the scale of the problems, but have the training and confidence to take the action needed to raise standards. That’s why I’m announcing plans to fund a new Leadership Academy for all Met leaders in every team across our capital.

“This will play a key part in ensuring the Met can successfully turn the recommendations from Baroness Casey’s interim review into real and lasting action. I see police reform as a critical part of my mayoralty. And I will not be satisfied until Londoners have the police service they deserve – one that is representative, trusted and delivers the highest possible service to every community in our city.

“The extra funding I have proposed today will also ensure that Londoners who contact the Met for help receive the quality of care and attention they deserve.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 25 January 2023.

Researchers suggest some young people may be ‘desensitised’ to seeing images of large knives posted on social media

Peer-led study shows knife imagery can make young people feel fearful and scared

Small number of young people admitted seeing images of large knives would make them more likely to carry a knife themselves

New research published by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has found that there is a negligible effect on young people of seeing images of knives posted by police on social media – but the impact on a smaller group of young people could be profound.

Researchers also suggests that some children and young people have become desensitised to seeing images of large knives and machetes seized where they live.

In January last year, London’s VRU commissioned research on behalf of its Young People’s Action Group (YPAG) who were concerned that posting images of knives seized by the police on social media could contribute to a sense of fear in communities, particularly amongst young people.

It’s recognised that there is a strong debate around images of knives and dangerous weapons seized by the police being published online. Alongside creating a sense of fear for some, the VRU’s YPAG also raised concerns that seeing images of big knives seized on London’s streets by police can lead to some young people getting hold of more dangerous weapons and knives in order to protect themselves.

The VRU commissioned research, led by University College London, to examine the impact on young people of knife imagery posted by police on social media. The research, published today, found little to suggest that viewing social media posts of knives seized by police had an impact on young people’s attitudes towards knives and knife-carrying. Researchers suggested this may be due to young people having become desensitised to seeing images of knives. They recommended further qualitative research to capture the views of young people already affected by knife-carrying or harm.

To support the research, the YPAG carried out peer-led surveys and a series of workshops with a group of young people aged 12-25 who benefit from the VRU’s programmes aimed at tackling violence and exploitation. It gave them a safe platform to discuss their views of the impact of seeing images of knives online.

It found that seeing images of knives seized by police and posted on social media can lead to young people feeling fearful and unsafe about where they live.

The surveys and workshops found that:

The majority of young people (53 per cent – 18 young people) felt unsafe, scared and worried upon seeing images of knives posted on social media by police

55 per cent (17 young people) felt their family and communities would feel afraid and fearful upon seeing images of knives posted online
Three young people (8 per cent) even admitted they would be more likely to carry a knife after seeing images of what had been confiscated where they live

When asked how seeing an image of a confiscated knife on police social media accounts would make them feel, one young person said: “If I see someone is carrying something horrific in my area and all I’m carrying is a flick knife.. what do you think I’m gonna do?”

What was clear through the survey of young people and the workshops, was that for some young people seeing knives online does create a sense of fear and can also trigger knife-related trauma.

It also demonstrated that young people are supportive of the police tackling violence and removing dangerous weapons, but the overwhelming consensus was that instead of showing images of large knives, the Met should instead focus on the good work it is doing with communities and young people.

One young person said: “The Met constantly telling us there’s knives here just further normalises it as our reality.”

As a result of the evidence, and having listened to the concerns of young people, the VRU’s Young People’s Action Group recommends that the Met stop posting images of confiscated knives on social media because of the impact it has on some young people and communities, and in a very small number of cases, can lead to a young person choosing to pick up a knife to protect themselves.

The VRU and the YPAG are keen to work with the Met to support other ways of visually demonstrating its work with communities and young people have set out a series of recommendations, which includes interviews with officers and holding events with young people to focus on the work they are doing to make communities safer.

This approach would be similar to Thames Valley, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands, whose police forces have already taken a decision to stop posting images of knives seized on social media.

Jade Barnett, member of VRU’s Young People’s Action Group, said:

“The Young People’s Action Group wanted to examine the issue of knife imagery because we had heard from other young people and communities that posting images of knives on social media platforms creates a sense of fear.

“We know this impact is not universal – not all young people will be affected by seeing images of large knives online, but neither are all young people affected by violence.

“Whilst the research showed there was little effect, what it does suggest and was backed up by surveys and workshops directly with young people, is that some young people – including myself – have been desensitised in relation to seeing images of knives.

“It’s worrying to know that young people see this as a normality. What the sessions with young people did uncover is that there is a negative impact, based around fear and trauma, for a small group of young people who are already too close to violence. Why would be want to seek to subject these young people to further trauma?

“I hope that this research is an eye opener and that the posting of knife imagery isn’t positively impacting the police’s relationships with our communities.

“I have high hopes that with the support of the VRU, including members of the YPAG, we will build a strong relationship with the Met to move away from posting images of knives and find other ways of demonstrating the work they are doing.”

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said:

“Listening to the voices of young people is an integral part of our approach to tackling violence, which is rooted in prevention and early intervention.

“That’s why we supported our Young People’s Action Group who felt very strongly about the complex issue of knife imagery.

“What is clear is that while, for the large majority of the young people we surveyed, there is little effect of seeing images of knives online, the impact for a smaller group of young people who may be affected by violence, is much more profound.

“Both the research and peer-led workshops and surveys demonstrated that our young people have become desensitised to seeing images on social media of large knives confiscated where they live. That really can’t be right or acceptable in society.

“We know that’s the exact opposite of what’s intended by the police who share our determination to tackle violence and make our communities safer for all Londoners. It’s important we listen to our young people and take action now to stop posting images.”

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, Louisa Rolfe, said:

“We value the involvement of young Londoners, on the important and ongoing debate around sharing images of knives on social media. We look forward to working with the Young People’s Action Group, to understand their recommendations and how it could affect our communications around knife-crime.

“Historically we have shared images to highlight the work of our officers and their successful results. This has helped to reassure communities that the Met is committed to targeting those carrying weapons and fuelling violence our streets. Other research has suggested this is important to communities.

“We are an evidence-driven organisation, and that extends to the way in which we communicate with Londoners. We look forward to reviewing the results of this research and engaging with our communities, which will inform our approach moving forward.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 24 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 19 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 18 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 17 January 2023.