A retired Kingston cop claims the Met has lost control of the capital's streets.

The former detective spoke out during a television debate about the death of a man who was killed during a row over a chocolate bar.

Evren Anil died in hospital this week days after an altercation with youths in Crystal Palace.

The ex-policeman, who spent years pounding the capital's streets, told the BBC that violent crime was way out of control.

And unlike Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons - the man in charge of the investigation into Evren's death who said people were right to challenge yobbish behaviour - he said the problem was now too big for ordinary people to tackle.

He said he regularly saw incidents of antisocial behaviour in Kingston which could easily spill over into something more serious.

"If you're fit and big enough to take these people on then maybe you should," he said, "But most people aren't and they should be aware of the dangers.

"The police have lost control of the streets. I see things every day where older people who perhaps don't realise how things can escalate tut at people when they shouldn't."

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