London's gun crime capital where locals see shootings 'right outside their homes'

Londoners living in the area of the city with the most gun crime have said that they hear of shootings 'every week', and locals are scared to go out at night. An elderly lady told MyLondon in Edmonton that she has been 'left without money for nearly two weeks' after having her purse stolen.

As regards voting at the General Election on July 4, residents said that the Conservatives have 'had their day' and locals need 'more opportunities' as they turn to crime due to the cost of living crisis. Some are turning to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, whereas others are more convinced by the Liberal Democrats.

But the seat - now known as Edmonton and Winchmore Hill - is set to remain Labour after polling day, with a 16,015 majority.

READ MORE: Labour’s London housing plans ‘not enough’ as not building homes 'could cost £7.7 billion'

Metropolitan Police Service data suggests that, between May 2023 and May 2024, Enfield recorded the most gun crimes (105 incidents). When comparing the number of incidents in the 12 months ending in May 2024 with the 12 months ending in May 2023, there was a 0.9 per cent increase across the city (1,649 incidents).

Cyrus Kaguo, 42, works in distribution for Sainsbury's. He has lived in North London for around 20 years and Edmonton for one. Mr Kaguo said: "It's quite dangerous. I think there's less opportunities for the, what do you call it, minorities.

"So they [turn] to crime as a way of survival, really." He added: "There's violence all the time. Don't go to Pymmes Park by yourself at certain hours. You'll definitely get stabbed.

'I've seen someone getting stabbed for a cigarette'

"I've seen someone getting stabbed for a cigarette, just because they couldn't give someone a cigarette." On gun crime, Mr Kaguo said that he hears of someone getting shot 'every week'.

Roads get blocked by police, he added, 'for days due to gun crime'. "They need to create more opportunities," the retail worker added, "for people that live around here. People don't have nothing to do for a living, so they end up committing crime instead.

"That's the only way they know to survive. Yeah, it's sad, though." On the General Election, Mr Kaguo said he plans to vote Conservative, 'even though they're rubbish'.

This is because he trusts them on the economy and infrastructure. "In terms of national debt," he said, "they kind of reduce it a bit. Unlike Labour. All they'll do is spend, spend, spend [...] I'm more of a conservative guy." He conceded, however, that over the past 14 years, the Tories have done 'horribly'.

Janet Linge, 70 , told MyLondon that she 'loves it' in Edmonton, and she has lived in the area all her life. However, she added that the area had changed over the decades, with its 'lovely market' and a wider range of shops now gone.

Ms Linge added that she would like to see a fish and chip shop back in the area in particular. "It's not the same," she said. The former carer then described how she had recently had her purse stolen while out and about.

'My purse was stolen and I've been without money for nearly two weeks'

She said: "There is crime. I'm not being funny, I mean I went out the other day and I had my purse stolen. So, there is crime but I don't see a lot of violent crime." Ms Linge added: "I've been left without money for nearly two weeks [...] Because I'm diabetic and that, and what have you. People don't think of what they're doing to the people that they steal from. You know, but what can you do?"

Ms Linge added that she is not planning to vote at the General Election as she does not have a form of acceptable ID now needed to cast a ballot. After being told that she can apply for a voter ID online, she told MyLondon that she would not be able to do this because she 'ain't on [a] computer' and 'wouldn't know what to do with a computer'.

If she were going to vote, Ms Linge said has 'no idea' which party she would support. The long-time resident said: "They're all more or less the same, really, aren't they?"

'Someone was shot in the heart right outside my block of flats'

Raymond Hendry, 73, has lived in Edmonton all his life. He described how someone was shot 'straight through the heart' right outside his block of flats 'a few years back'. He said: "[I] looked down from my living room window - I could see the paramedics and the police working on him.

"It was all drug-related." Asked if he had noticed an increase in violence recently, Mr Hendry said: "Over the last five years or so, yeah. I don't like going out in the evenings. I don't feel safe at all here - even during the day."

Asked what needs to be done, he said: "Without being racist, we've got to cut down on immigration, especially in this area. It's been taken over. We are now the minority." Mr Hendry said: "They talk about a multicultural society, but we haven't got one."

When presented with the Metropolitan Police's point of view that it is down to social deprivation, the North Londoner said: "That's rubbish. If you go about a mile up the road that way, there's a car park in front of a line of shops. The cheapest Mercedes up there must be 65,000 quid, and there's about eight of them in a line. Is that an area of deprivation?"

Mr Hendry added that, at the General Election, he will be voting for Nigel Farage's Reform Party UK candidate. "I definitely don't trust Labour at all," he said. "They're not the Labour Party that I knew when I was young." He said that he voted Tory last time in 2019, but not because of the party but because of Boris Johnson 'to get us out of Europe - hoping it would stop all this'.

'I don't know why they would break into a florist. But they do'

Denise Sturman, 51, lives in Arnos Grove in Enfield and has worked at Annes and Inghams Florist in Keats Parade for more than 20 years. "It's very quiet during the day," she told MyLondon, "but at night time, it's completely different."

Ms Sturman added: "There is a lot of knife crimes around here, stabbings, in the area." But she had not heard of any shootings. The florist said that she does feel safe in Edmonton, due to there 'always being a local police presence'. The nearest Met Police station, she added, is not far away.

"And all the neighbours are very good along here," Ms Sturman said. Nevertheless, she thinks 'more policing would be great', as the shop had been 'broken into three or four times'. "It's amazing," she said, "why they would break into a florist. But they do." It is Ms Sturman's view that the high cost of living is why these crimes are being committed.

The Londoner added that she is not sure who she is going to vote for on July 4 yet, but locals are 'not at all' feeling any benefits from inflation being brought back down to the Bank of England's target rate of two per cent.

'The Conservatives have had their day'

"I always used to vote Conservative," she added, "[but] I really don't know [...] I just think the Conservatives have had their day. I don't think they can do anything different for us. But then, what can the others do. But yeah, I am thinking of switching." Ms Sturman did nevertheless say that she is being inspired by the opposition's messaging, though 'not so much Keir Starmer'.

She signalled that she is more partial to the Liberal Democrats at the moment. On business, she said that the industry is coming out of a 'peak period' and customers 'haven't got the money to spend on flowers' as they are a 'luxury'.

In addition, Denise mentioned that it is 'so difficult these days' to book GP appointments for her husband, who needs to see medical professionals regularly due to medical issues.

A 45-year-old man, who said his name was Danny Potter, has lived in Edmonton for eight months. The former youth worker described how it was 'mayhem' across North London, with incidents happening at the local police station, in Clapton and in Highbury. But he added: "I feel safe; I'm alright. I do martial arts."

Nevertheless, he said 'the kids need to call it a day' and the area needs to 'increase the peace'. "It's not nice," Mr Potter added. He also said he is 'not keen' on voting.

Gun crime 'ebbs and flows' in London

Met Police Commander Brogden told MyLondon earlier this month when asked why specific areas are most affected by gun crime: "It fluctuates. We saw a recent rise in say South London - Lambeth, Southwark. Lots of police investigation activity has reduced that, thankfully.

"Similar in Brent and North West London, so it does ebb and flow. It's often linked to areas of social deprivation. We absolutely understand that. We work with those communities, build trust and confidence to come forward whenever we see an incident of serious gun crime.

"It's really important that the public trust us to investigate it. But it ebbs and flows, But often it's in areas of social deprivation." He added that it was also 'undoubtedly' also down to gangs and drugs.

"Money and guns are an unhealthy cocktail," Commander Brogden added. "We find a lot of the serious discharges are gang linked, and unfortunately often linked to [the] drugs trade."

Last year, London gun crime increased by just under 20 per cent - rising from 1,009 offences in 2022 to 1,208 in 2023. But the Met says that 'serious' incidents are down. Commander Brogden said that the force is 'not complacent' and is 'doubling its efforts' to tackle a 'vicious cycle of violence' in the city.

Mayor to 'bear down on crime'

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has promised to 'bear down on crime' in his third term, treating it like an 'infection' with youth projects. He said: “Firearms have no place anywhere on our streets. This action by the Met Police is taking dangerous weapons off our streets, bringing high-harm offenders to justice and dismantling organised criminal gangs.

"I fully support the Met’s renewed focus in tackling gun crime, under the New Met for London Plan, as we continue to work together to build a safer London for everyone.”

Policing minister Chris Philp told PA on Tuesday, June 25: “When Keir Starmer was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service convictions for weapon possession fell, and knife crime has risen by 20 per cent in Labour-run London.” He added that the Tories had a plan to recruit 8,000 more police officers.

Mr Philp said: ”The choice at the election is clear: cracking down on crime with Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives, or back to square one with Keir Starmer and the same old Labour who consistently fail to tackle crime.”

Full list of Edmonton and Winchmore Hill candidates

• Christian Peoples Alliance, Yemi Awolola

• Green, Luke Balnave

• Workers Party of Britain, Denise Headley

• Conservative, Zoe Huggins

• Liberal Democrat, Tim Martin

• Labour, Kate Osamor

• Independent, Khalid Sadur

• Reform UK, Neville Watson

Want more from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.