More than a 100 neighbours from Harlesden raised their concerns about knife crime at a public meeting on August 22, after a spate of violent crimes in the area in recent months.

The Time to Talk event, organised by Brent Council, saw police and community leaders talk about crime prevention measures. Police officers also told the meeting that knife crime has dropped by 31 per cent in the last year.

Worried locals then pressed the police and council about what was being done with early intervention and activities for young people. They were also concerned about levels of policing in the borough.

Brent Police has recently introduced a dedicated team to address violent offenders, while the council has been analysing data and trends to try to ensure they can intervene earlier.

The town hall has also spent £2.5million on CCTV across the borough, so staff can identify young people at risk if seen with older, known, gang members.

People at the Roundwood Youth Centre, where the meeting was held, also suggested what could be done to reduce violent crime in the borough.

Cllr Tom Miller, cabinet member for community safety, said: "There is no one solution, which is why we need to work together. The encouraging news is that serious violence is on the way down. We cannot afford to be complacent, but there is a lot of good work already happening that we can build on.

"We welcome fresh thinking and I encourage anyone who wants to work with us to give people alternatives to violence to explore the community funding that is available for projects."