Man shot next to children's playground in London

Shooting comes as figures show violent crimes in capital up 14 per cent in a month

The man was shot in Thornbury Playing Fields, Isleworth, on 29 June (Google Streetview)

A man has been shot near a children’s playground in London as figures show violence in the capital up 14 per cent in a month.

Police are appealing to speak to witnesses who were in Isleworth’s Thornbury Playing Fields at the time of the shooting, which took place as parents took their children to play in the sunshine after school.

Scotland Yard said the 21-year-old victim was shot in the arm between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Friday.

He was treated for the injury at a hospital in west London before being discharged.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said detectives from the Trident and Area Crime Command have launched an investigation.

“They would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting, especially anyone who was near the basketball courts, skate park or children's play area,” he added.

“They would also like to speak with anyone who saw a group of males congregating under the trees on the west-side of the park.

“The offence occurred in the middle of the afternoon, on a hot day and the area park would have been filled with a large number of people.”

The Met’s latest crime data shows that violence against the person offences, which include shootings, stabbings and possessing offensive weapons, increased by 14 per cent from April to May, and 6 per cent year-on-year.

At least 50 people have been stabbed to death in London so far in 2018, and if the rate continues for the next six months fatal stabbings will be up a quarter on 2017.

They are among a total of 79 people murdered in the capital this year according to the London Assembly, whose members will question Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick on Wednesday.

Police-recorded incidents of knife crime rose by 22 per cent and across England and Wales in 2017, while gun crime was up by 11 per cent.

Figures show police are failing to solve almost two thirds of knife crimes committed against under-25s, amid rising demand, budget cuts and the loss of thousands of officers.

Three teenagers have been charged with murder after a 38-year-old man died of injuries sustained on Friday in Nottingham.

A 15-year-old boy has also been arrested on suspicion of murdering a man found stabbed in the street in Chelmsford, Essex, on 22 June.

The following day, a 15-year-old boy involved in the “drill” music scene was stabbed outside a birthday party in Romford, east London.

A 16-year-old boy appeared at the Old Bailey over Jordan Douherty’s death, which police said involved 10 attackers, on Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the incident in Isleworth is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference 5699/29Jun or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.