Piers Morgan tells Sadiq Khan to 'stop hiding' after weekend of Bank Holiday violence in London

Piers Morgan has unleashed a blistering attack on the Mayor of London after another weekend of violence in the capital.

The Good Morning Britain (GMB) host took to the airwaves this morning to tell Sadiq Khan to ‘stop hiding’ after he failed to turn up for an interview on the show.

Morgan was speaking just days after 17-year-old Rhyhiem Ainsworth Barton was shot dead in a street in Southwark, while a 13-year-old boy was shot in the head while walking down a street with his parents in Harrow on Sunday.

The outspoken presenter tweeted an invite to the Mayor on Monday, writing: ‘Stop hiding, Mr Mayor and come on GMB tomorrow to discuss this very urgent issue.

‘Our viewers are entitled to hear from you.’

After Mr Khan’s no-show this morning, Morgan said: ‘Why wouldn’t you come on a big morning television programme to talk to our viewers?

‘This is your duty. We’re not doing it as some sort of trap, you’re supposed to come on and defend yourself.’

MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO

• Oxford city centre reopens after armed siege between gunman and police ends peacefully

• Fury over mountains of of litter left by Bank Holiday drinkers on British beauty spot

• ‘Miracle boy’ Trenton McKinley, 13, wakes up after being declared brain dead and parents agreed to donate organs

• Here’s why some people’s hair goes grey early, according to science

• IKEA fans who travelled 100 miles are turned away after new store gets opening date wrong

Co-host Susanna Reid added: ‘It’s not just defence it’s reassurance, people want to know what is being done to tackle this.’

Yesterday, Mr Khan said that he ‘refused to accept nothing can be done to stem the appalling rise of violent crime we are seeing across the country’.

He said in a statement: ‘Keeping Londoners safe is my top priority – I remain in constant contact with the Metropolitan Police and am reassured that they are doing everything they can to bring those responsible to justice and to keep us all safe.

‘As Mayor I’m doing all I can to compensate for the failure of ministers.

‘City Hall is investing an extra £110m in the Met to keep police numbers as high as possible, and we have also set up a new £45m Young Londoners Fund to help tackle the causes of violent crime and support young people to turn away from criminality.

‘I refuse to accept that nothing can be done to stem the appalling rise of violent crime we are seeing across the country.

‘Together with the police, community groups, victims and their families and Londoners, City Hall will continue to work ceaselessly to tackle violent crime.’