More than 74 people each week were injured in collisions involving hit and run drivers in London last year according to figures from the Greater London Authority.

The number of incidents has been rising year on year since 2009 when there were 3,090 incidents - 11 of them fatal. By 2012 the numbers had increased to 3,879 incidents and 15 fatalities.

The Met says the huge number of hit and run incidents is directly linked to the number of illegal and uninsured drivers in the capital, with 31,927 uninsured vehicles seized by police in 2012 and event more - 38,279 - seized last year.

A report to Met noted that: "DfT studies show uninsured drivers are 10 times more likely to have a drink drive conviction and drivers without a valid licence are up to nine times more likely to be involved in a collision."

Jenny Jones, Green Party London Assembly member
Jenny Jones, Green Party London Assembly member

London Assembly member Jenny Jones (Green Party) said police had made "a lot of progress" in tackling hit and run drivers by removing thousands of uninsured and unlicensed vehicles from the streets.

She added: "The number of hit and runs in London remains at a high level which is incredibly concerning. We need the police to crack down on these illegal drivers urgently by redoubling their efforts and taking 100,000 uninsured drivers off our roads every year. We urgently need to make our streets safer and to send a clear message that illegal drivers will not be tolerated."

This week a woman aged 90 was killed by a lorry in Maida Vale and a 70-year-old cyclist died on Friday a fortnight after he suffered serious injuries in collision with a car at Regent Street. In both cases the drivers stopped at the scene.

Hillingdon is one of only three London boroughs - the others were Newham and Hackney - to have suffered more than one fatal hit-and-run in 2012, the latest period for which figures are available. Each borough suffered two such incidents in that year.