Gang and youth violence offences in Ealing have continued to decline since the summer riots of 2011.

Wounding offences for 10-19 year olds in the borough dropped by 22 from 2010-2011 to 2012-2013 while grievous bodily harm (GBH) figures for the same age range and time frame decreased by two.

On the whole, gang and youth violence offending declined in all of the 18 boroughs surveyed, as part of a comprehensive £10 million Home Office project targeted at the most at-risk areas for gang culture.

Aspects of the campaign included improved information sharing between criminal justice agencies and a better referral system to ensure youths identified as being at risk of homelessness or mental health problems did not turn to gang culture or offending behaviour.

The figures published on January 6 by London Probation Trust however, show much still remains to be done to tackle this problem across the capital. The Trust is currently working with around 1,350 gang members in London as part of a specialist unit it set up last April (2013) to address the complexities of the crime and help tackle the cycle of reoffending.

Andrew Hillas, Assistant Chief Officer at London Probation Trust said: “We are aware that it is a small minority of gang members who commit the greatest harm. It is critical we work closely in partnership with local community organisations with a specialist track record of successfully helping young people leave gangs, as well as the local police.

“Our strategic and co-ordinated approach is recognised by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime as a beacon of good practice and we aim to further extend our activities across London to reduce the impact and levels of gang crime.”