The Metropolitan Police has had to accept offers of help from colleagues in the capital as it deals with a rise in the number of murder cases .

When a man was found beaten to death outside a bookies in Hackney on April 4, City of London Police offered to take over the murder investigation and Scotland Yard accepted.

Now the City force - which ordinarily patrols the Square Mile in London’s financial and trading heart - has offered up a continued loan of detectives to the under-pressure Met Police.

On Thursday (April 26), City of London Police Assistant Commissioner Alastair Sutherland, a former Met officer himself, told the authority's resourcing committee that the City ranks were willing to cross borders again, describing Scotland Yard as “very challenged” by this year's homicide spike .

Assistant Commissioner Sutherland told the City of London’s Performance and Resource Management Sub (Police) Committee that Square Mile officers wanted to help their neighbours - and City top brass saw it as an opportunity to enhance the smaller force's investigative capabilities.

The City of London recorded two murders on its patch in the year to March 2018. Assistant Commissioner Sutherland noted suicides remained the major challenge in the area.

By contrast, Scotland Yard recorded 157 homicides in the same period, a 44% rise, and in a year that included the Westminster, London Bridge and Finsbury Park terror attacks .

Since then, the force has grappled with a series of deadly knife attacks in London .

Police at a murder scene in Southall earlier this year

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said its ranks frequently worked closely with neighbouring forces, often teaming up for anti-terror policing and large events like football matches.

They are also working with the City on crime prevention initiatives such as Operation Sceptre, which is aimed at tackling London’s growing knife crime problem.

Scotland Yard would accept the City’s help in future murder investigations on a case-by-case basis, its spokeswoman said.

“We welcome the considerable expertise City officers bring,” she added.

Following the committee meeting, City of London Police Commander Jane Gyford said it was not uncommon for forces to work together when a problem arose, referencing the joint operation with the Met to crack down on knife crime in London.

“Due to the recent rise in violent crime and homicides in the region, we offered our assistance to the Met – just as we know they would if the City of London Police required it.”

Assistant Commissioner Sutherland also told the committee the operation to stamp out moped theft in the City was progressing well.

Police recorded 38 fewer moped snatching cases this February compared to the same period last year.

Moped thieves appeared to have noticed the combined Met and City police Operation Gondola targeting them and had changed their movements, the force's annual performance report showed.

Mondays and Thursdays from 10pm currently appeared to be the peak times for moped thieves in the Square Mile.

The report tabled with the committee on Thursday showed City police were looking into using Selecta DNA spray to ensnare them.