Metropolitan Police figures have revealed which south west London borough recorded the highest number of criminal offences in March.
South west London, which includes Croydon, Sutton, Merton, Lambeth, Kingston-upon-Thames, Richmond-upon-Thames and Wandsworth, saw an overall rise in reported crime in March.
A total of 12,252 offences were logged in March, up 10.6 per cent recorded in February.
Lambeth recorded the highest number of offences in February, with 3,182 crimes reported.
Theft was the most common offence in the borough, with 1,168 incidents, followed by violence against the person with 804 reports.
Vehicle crime saw 244 offences recorded.
There were also 162 cases of arson and criminal damage and public order offences, 159 robberies and 139 burglaries.
Croydon had the second-highest crime total, with 2,900 offences in March, representing a 14.58 per cent increase from the previous month.
As in Lambeth, violence against the person and theft were the most frequently recorded crimes, with 969 and 571 reports respectively.
Vehicle offences were the next most common at 282, followed by 233 cases of arson and criminal damage.
Wandsworth ranked third, with 2,058 offences reported during the month, up 4.63 per cent compared to February.
The borough recorded 627 incidents of violence against the person and 585 theft offences, alongside 183 vehicle crimes.
Arson and criminal damage, burglaries and public order offences had 118, 136, and 153 cases respectively.
Sutton was next in the rankings, with 1,126 offences reported in March.
This included 385 cases of violence against the person, 266 thefts and 109 public order offences.
Police also recorded 102 vehicle offences and 84 incidents of arson and criminal damage.
In Kingston-upon-Thames, 1,069 offences were recorded in March.
The most common crimes were violence against the person, with 354 reports, and theft, with 309.
Merton and Richmond-upon-Thames recorded the lowest crime levels in south west London during March.
Merton saw 1,052 offences, including 313 cases of violence against the person and 263 thefts.
Richmond recorded 865 offences, making it the borough with the lowest total.
Often regarded as one of south London’s safest areas, Richmond saw 229 incidents of violence against the person, 224 thefts and 161 vehicle offences.
