Violent crime has rocketed in the south of Westminster, leaving residents fearing for their safety.

The latest figures show serious wounding has soared by 97 per cent, from 30 incidents between April and November 2007 compared to 59 in the same period in 2008.

Assault with injury has gone up six per cent, from 398 to 422, and other violent crime has risen 55 per cent, from 60 to 93.

Superintendent Simon Ovens, of Belgravia police station, said violent crime appeared to increase because the offences were reclassified in April 2008 and that the total number of assaults has remained stable.

He said: "Many of the crimes that would have been called common assault last year are now classified as more serious offences - serious wounding, assault with injury and other violent crime. Common assault has gone down by 24 per cent, from 336 to 255."

He added: "There are five more offences in 2008 compared to 2007. This is a reasonably positive figure, but there are still far too many assaults."

But in total, violent crime - which also includes harassment, murder and possession of offensive weapons - has risen by 13 per cent, from 1,272 offences to 1,435.

Drug-related crime, which includes trafficking and possession, has increased by 44 per cent, from 882 to 1274.

Pimlico residents including Irene Dimmock who lives on the Churchill Gardens Estate, in Churchill Gardens Road, say the fear of violent crime is plaguing their neighbourhood.

She said: "It was particularly bad about six months ago on the estate. Groups of lads and drug dealers were hanging around on the staircases. Nine out of ten elderly people living here still won't go out at night time.

"But it seems to have been getting better since then, and we see more police out and about on the estate and in the surrounding area which makes it feel safer."

Superintendent Ovens added: "We've put more police out on the streets and increased stop-and-search, so we've recovered more offensive weapons and drugs. Most harassment crimes are to do with domestic violence, and the Metropolitan police has made a huge drive to increase the reporting of this crime.

"We used to spend too much time in police cars, but we're trying to get more officers out and about on the streets."

VIOLENT CRIME             April to Nov 2007             April to Nov 2008          Percentage                           
Assault with injury                     398                                       422                           6
Common assault                       336                                       255                        -24
Harassment                              369                                       500                         36
Murder                                         0                                           1                         
Possesion of offensive weapon     79                                        105                         33
Other violence                            60                                          93                         55
Serious wounding                       30                                          59                         97
Possesion of drugs                   849                                       1221                        44
TOTAL                                   1272                                       1435                        13