London violence: Hundreds march over rise in violence in Croydon

The march was held in Croydon's centre

Hundreds of people have gathered in Croydon to take a stand against violence following a recent rise in violent incidents in the borough.

Four young people have been stabbed in the past two weeks and two firearms have been discharged.

The march was attended by local residents, church and community leaders, politicians and the police.

Organiser Anthony King said: "No matter what people's backgrounds are, we all want to keep our children safe."

Speakers at the event called for action to prevent young people from carrying knives.

One attendee said she just wanted a safe place for children to go

The Croydon Churches Prayer Walk was in response to attacks on Church Street, on the High Street and on Elmwood Road in west Croydon. The children involved in the attacks on Church Street were aged 13 and 14. None of the attacks were fatal.

It has been 16 months since a young person died after being stabbed in the borough; in 2021 it was the worst borough in London as five teenagers were murdered there.

The recent violence has concerned the community.One attendee said she was really worried about young people in the area while another woman said: "We just want to have a safe place for our children to walk the streets.

"I'm just so passionate about it. I'm just here to make a stand."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]