LONDON  is bemoaning the fact that the murder rate has overtaken that of New York for the first time in modern history,  but Panama's latest figures outstrip the combined total for  the two cities.

Data from police in both cities, obtained by The Sunday Times and the BBC, shows that 15 people were murdered in London (pop 8.8  million) in February, compared to 14 in New York (pop 8.5 million.)

London murders for March are also “likely to exceed or equal” the US city’s, the Times reports. Of the 44 murder investigations launched by police in 2018, 31 have been a result of stabbings.

Panama (pop under 4 million) had  43 murders in March, bringing te total for the first three months to116

Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office said it was “deeply concerned” by the latest figures, but insisted that London “remains one of the safest [cities] in the world”.

Last year, the Metropolitan Police said years of funding cuts were partly to blame for the steep rise in crime in the capital. The force has had to make £600m in savings since 2010.

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