Almost three quarters of under 25-year-olds killed in London homicides last year were from the Afro-Caribbean community, Scotland Yard has revealed.

Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House described the murder of young black men and boys in the capital as "completely disproportionate".

London saw 149 homicides in 2019, compared to 133 the previous year, despite a drop nationally.

Sir Stephen told members of the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee on Thursday: "Of 149 homicide victims in 2019, 54 of them were under 25.

"Of those 54, 39 were from the Afro-Caribbean community, which is 72%, which is a completely disproportionate figure if you look at the population of London."

According to the most recent available figures from the Office of National Statistics, an estimated 12% of the London population are black, a grouping including black African, Caribbean and other.

Sir Stephen revealed the homicide statistics after he was questioned about figures showing some 80% of people included on the force's gangs matrix are Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME).

The controversial database includes suspected gang members and those seen as at risk of becoming involved in gang violence.

Sir Stephen said: "The gang situation in London is a disproportionate issue in itself.

"From theses figures it seems to me quite clear that the tragic murder of young, black, virtually all male, youths under 25 is also disproportionate."

It comes after Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick pledged to make the fight against violence her "number one priority" in 2020 to tackle the rising murder rate.

Sir Stephen said: "There is an overall increase in homicides over the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months but we have seen domestic abuse homicides come down.

"Homicide is quite clearly the most extreme end of violence... other measures of violent crime are coming down and have come down."

He said knife crime injuries suffered by those aged under 25 had dropped 8% in the year to November 2019, compared to the previous 12 months.

Sir Stephen said 4,000 bladed weapons were seized as a result of stop and searches last year but admitted too few suspects have been charged.

"I completely accept the level of prosecutions of people we arrest is not enough and we are taking steps to get it higher," he added.

By Henry Vaughan