Stop and searches in London are down by a quarter despite Mayor Sadiq Khan’s pledge to step them up

STOP and searches in London are down by a quarter in four months despite promises to step them up by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Even targeted frisking for weapons that Mr Khan urged this year have dropped to just a trickle.

Every time he spoke out, stop and search use by the Met Police went up, but then fell back immediately afterwards.

Critics slammed Mr Khan’s approach and said it had to be used to prevent violent crime.

Details emerged after Home Secretary Sajid Javid said this week he wanted to see an expansion of the power.

In April, after six people were killed in stabbings and shootings, Mr Khan said police should be confident to stop and search someone they suspect to be carrying an offensive weapon.

Immediately following his remarks stop and searches soared to almost 13,000.

But the following month the figures started to drop.

And by July they were at the lowest for the year, with just 9,690 searches.

Former cop Rory Geoghegan, of the Centre for Social Justice think tank, said: “Instead of responding to spates of stabbings or murders we need to be getting on the front foot about this.

“Stop and search is a preventative power.

The idea is that you get the weapons off the street before there is the violence, rather than starting stop and search as a response to violence.”

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “The mayor is leading from the front to tackle violent crime, but it has been made difficult by Theresa May’s cuts to the Met Police and youth services.”

• GOT a story? Ring 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk.