Sadiq Khan cherry picks crime data in the hope you won't notice five horror statistics - Susan Hall

When the Mayor of London dismisses legitimate concerns about rising crime as "misinformation", he does a profound disservice to the victims of crime across our capital.

Sadiq Khan's recent claims that crime is falling in London represent a masterclass in cherry-picking statistics and manipulating data to paint a rosier picture than reality warrants - it seems to be a core Labour Party tactic, at this point.

Let's put the claim to bed immediately. The Mayor relies on crime statistics where the methodology of counting offences has changed, making year-on-year comparisons meaningless.

This sleight of hand has allowed him to stand before Londoners and claim progress whilst they experience something quite different on their streets, in their neighbourhoods, and in their homes. For how long does he expect them to disbelieve the evidence before their eyes?

Let's examine the figures the Mayor would rather you didn't see. Violence against the person has surged by 40 per cent since 2015.

Sexual offences are up a staggering 75 per cent. Theft from the person – the phone snatchings and bag thefts that terrify Londoners – has exploded by 207 per cent. These aren't abstract numbers; they represent real Londoners whose lives have been upended by crime.

The knife crime epidemic tells its own damning story. Last year, London recorded 188 knife crimes per 100,000 residents; more than double the national average of 90 per 100,000.

Behind each statistic is a victim, a family torn apart, a community traumatised. Is this data "misinformation", Sadiq?

Perhaps most alarmingly, drug trafficking in London has increased by 94 per cent in the last year alone. This isn't just a statistic about victimless crime – drug trafficking fuels violence and misery across our city.

County lines operations destroy young lives and terrorise vulnerable communities - and we know it finances more serious criminal networks.

The Mayor's response to these uncomfortable truths is to dismiss critics as spreading misinformation. You cannot solve a problem you refuse to acknowledge.

By minimising the scale of crime in London, the Mayor undermines efforts to tackle it effectively. Police officers on the ground and residents all know the truth: that crime is not falling in any meaningful sense that matters to victims.

Making matters worse, our vital Metropolitan Police force now faces a £200million black hole in its finances thanks to Khan's thoughtless budget. How can we expect our officers to tackle this crime wave when they're struggling with inadequate resources and funding?

London deserves a fully-funded police force equipped to meet the challenges we face.

The City Hall Conservatives found £121m worth of savings in the Mayor's wasteful budget that could have helped to reduce the scale of the looming cuts, but we were shut down by Labour.

We need honesty from City Hall. We need a Mayor who will acknowledge the scale of the problem, properly fund our police, and implement effective strategies to make London safe again.

That starts with telling the truth about crime, not dismissing concerned Londoners as purveyors of misinformation. Khan needs to come clean and take the red-rose-tinted glasses off.