The number of teenage murders in London will reach a record level this year as police struggle to cope with the surge in youth and gang violence.<\/p>\n
The toll reached 26 with the death of Oliver Kingonzila, 19, at the weekend \u201d\u201c the same as the total for the whole of 2007, with three months of 2008 remaining.<\/p>\n
Scotland Yard said yesterday that youth violence was its \u201cbiggest challenge\u201d\u009d, while senior detectives privately conceded that further deaths were almost inevitable.<\/p>\n
Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, described the youth murders last year as \u201ccompletely unacceptable\u201d\u009d. But tough enforcement measures, a high detection rate and millions of pounds being spent on antiknife crime initiatives have not stopped the rate of killing rising sharply from 17 in 2006, 16 each in 2005 and 2004, and 15 in 2003.<\/p>\n