New director for London's Violence Reduction Unit

Labour councillor Lib Peck will stand down from her job as council chief to join the £6.8m unit set up by Sadiq Khan last year to tackle violence across the capital.

Peck's responsibilities will include developing a "long-term partnership strategy" and to ensure "communities and young people are properly represented and consulted".

She will be the point of contact between the unit, and other partner organisations including the Metropolitan Police Service, London boroughs, schools and community groups.

The politician has led the borough council since 2012, and is also the London Councils executive member for crime and public protection.

City Hall said a key focus of the unit is early intervention and "providing young Londoners with better, positive life opportunities".

Khan has proposed £1.8 million in annual funding and a one-off £5 million for the unit, on top of an initial £500,000 investment.

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The mayor said he believed Peck would bring "valuable leadership and expertise, building on her huge experience of working with London boroughs, community groups and partner organisations across London".

"We know that the causes of violent crime are extremely complex, involving deep-seated problems in society such as poverty, alienation, mental health issues and a lack of opportunity.

"In London, the Violence Reduction Unit will lead the capital's response to understanding the causes of violent crime and working to stop it spreading by bringing together specialists from right across the city."

Peck said: "Tackling violence is a number one priority for Londoners and I hope to be effective in working with a huge variety of community groups, public sector partners and the police to bring a fresh approach to this devastating and destructive crime."

The mayor and the Met commissioner have also set out plans to spend £85 million of new City Hall funding to tackle violent crime and burglary in the capital.

It comes as new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that rising rates of violence and knife crime have begun to slow in London, but are increasing across the rest of the country.

ONS figures show that knife crime in London saw a rise of 7.8 per cent over 12 months to September last year, a decrease on the previous quarter, while it increased by nine per cent in the rest of the country.