After a “horrifying” year in Croydon that saw the killing of seven people under the age of 24, warnings have been made that young people in the borough are “desensitised to violence”.

A knife crime conference was held at Croydon College on Friday (February 25), where teachers, volunteers and the police gathered to come up with ways to combat the issue.

Markieu Hayden headteacher at Norbury High School for Girls said: “We have seen an increase in desensitisation to violence and increasing use of violence by young women.

“Usually it is focussed on the boys. We are missing a trick here because the girls know the gang members or they are the girlfriend of a gang member.”

She went on to say there is mistrust among young people of the police, something that has got worse in recent months.

More than 100 people attended the ‘stopping the violence leadership summit’ which was organised by Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA), which said: “The fatal stabbings in Croydon at the end of last year shocked us all and strengthened our resolve to work together against knife crime.”

At the event, Croydon Council leader, Hamida Ali, said: “There is no one thing or one organisation that can stop this from happening. The last 12 months has horrified us all.

“Seven young people under the age of 24 and five teenagers we’ve lost in this borough.

“As long as we continue to lose young precious life this conversation is so important, to make space about what more we can be doing but crucially that we are doing it.”

Superintendent Andy Brittain said Croydon Police is working to get into schools to support young people and attempt to prevent knife crime.

Supt Brittain said: “To lose five kids from our streets really hurt us all. Please don’t think we don’t care. Every time we get that call it hurts.

“Last year was not a good year. This one, we want to focus on how to build trust with our kids and how do we get into schools to empower them.”