South London Poll: Safe After Croydon & Sutton Stabbings?

Key Points

• South London boroughs including Croydon and Sutton have experienced multiple stabbings and shootings over the past year, raising concerns about public safety.​
• On 11 January 2026, a woman was found with multiple stab wounds on Brighton Road in South Croydon and rushed to hospital in stable condition; a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
• On 27 January 2026, a 17-year-old boy suffered a slash wound to his stomach near Grove Park in Carshalton and was hospitalised.​
• Croydon recorded 3,214 incidents of violence with injury in the year to June 2025, the highest in London, far exceeding neighbouring Sutton’s 1,296 cases.​
• Sutton saw a shooting on 24 October 2025 near The Lanes Shopping Centre in Wylde Green, where a man in his 30s was injured non-fatally; five individuals were charged including Kirstie Gavin, 32, with attempted murder and Adrian Hylton, 43, with multiple offences.
• Another shooting occurred in Sutton Coldfield’s Mount View on 31 January 2026, leaving a man in his 20s in critical condition and a woman with minor injuries.​
• London knife crime remains high, with the Metropolitan Police handling 31% of England and Wales cases in 2024, though some statistics show slight declines in violence with injury.
• A poll is underway asking south London residents and visitors if they still feel safe in their local areas amid these incidents.​
• Police urge witnesses to come forward, with appeals for information on specific cases via 101 or Crimestoppers.

Sutton (South London News) February 4, 2026 – Residents across south London boroughs such as Croydon and Sutton are being polled on their sense of safety following a series of stabbings and shootings in the past year. The survey, prompted by recent violent incidents, seeks to gauge whether locals and visitors continue to feel secure in their neighbourhoods. Authorities have responded to multiple attacks, including high-profile cases in early 2026, amid broader concerns over knife crime in the capital.

What Recent Stabbings Have Occurred in Croydon?

Croydon has emerged as a focal point for violence, with significant incidents drawing police attention. As reported by UKNIP, police rushed to Brighton Road in South Croydon at 8:37am on Sunday, 11 January 2026, after reports of a stabbing, where officers alongside the London Ambulance Service found a woman with multiple stab wounds; she was treated at the scene and rushed to hospital in stable condition. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated:

“Met officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a woman for multiple stab wounds before taking her to hospital. The woman did not suffer from any life-changing or threatening injuries. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He remains in police custody.”

As detailed by Sami Quadri of the Evening Standard, the attack occurred just after 8:30am on Brighton Road, South Croydon, with paramedics treating the victim before hospital transfer; photos showed police cars outside a residential address opposite the South Croydon bus garage, and an onlooker reported seven police cars and two ambulances on social media site X. The Met spokesperson added:

“Police were called on Sunday, 11 January at 08:37hrs to Brighton Road, Croydon following reports of a stabbing.”

A crime scene remained in place as enquiries continued, with police appealing for witnesses via 101 quoting CAD7120/11Jan or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Croydon’s violence statistics are stark. Inside Croydon reported that the borough topped London for “violence with injury” reports, logging 3,214 incidents from actual bodily harm to life-threatening assaults in the year to June 2025—three times higher than Sutton’s figures and 6% more than Westminster. This echoes past labels of Croydon as London’s “knife crime capital,” despite some council claims of improvement.​

How Has Knife Crime Impacted Croydon Broader Trends?

Met Police Commander Hayley Sewart, lead for knife crime, noted:

“Tackling violent crime is our top priority and every month across London we are making over 1,000 more arrests than we were last year – with knife-related crime (16 per cent) and robbery (13 per cent) both falling significantly.”

Yet, the top 200 London areas for knife crime saw 3,615 offences in 2024, prompting calls for zero-tolerance stop-and-search in hotspots.​

What Happened in the Carshalton Stabbing Incident?

Towards the end of January 2026, another alarming attack struck nearby. An Instagram post from a local source detailed that on 27 January 2026, a 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital after being injured in a stabbing on High Street near Grove Park in Carshalton, suffering a slash wound around his stomach. This incident, in the London Borough of Sutton, underscores the proximity of violence across south London communities.

No arrests were immediately reported in coverage of this event, but it fits into the pattern prompting the safety poll. Police have not released further updates in available reports, but the boy’s hospitalisation highlights ongoing risks to young people.​

Which Shootings Have Rocked Sutton?

Sutton has not been spared gun violence. UKNIP reported a dawn shooting on 24 October 2025 near The Lanes Shopping Centre in Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, at around 7:30am, where a man in his 30s was injured but his wounds were not life-threatening. West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Unit investigated, leading to charges against five: Kirstie Gavin, 32, with attempted murder and conspiracy to murder; Adrian Hylton, 43, with attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life; Dwaine Patterson, 46, with conspiracy to murder; Terrence Regis, 43, with attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life; and Carly Smith, 36, with conspiracy to murder. All appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court and were remanded ahead of Birmingham Crown Court.

More recently, on 31 January 2026, a man in his 20s was shot in Mount View, Sutton Coldfield, shortly before 11:30pm, leaving him critically injured in hospital; a woman sustained minor injuries after gunshots were fired. Police appealed for footage and information via the Major Incident Public Portal.​

What Do Broader Statistics Say About South London Safety?

Knife crime persists as a capital-wide issue. The Independent highlighted that UK knife offences fell 1% to 53,047 in the year ending March 2025, but the Met Police accounted for 31%. Croydon and Sutton contrast sharply: Sutton had 1,296 violence with injury cases to June 2025, among London’s lowest alongside Merton. London-wide, violence with injury dropped 14% to 65,215, per ONS figures.

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime noted falls in every borough: knife crime with injury for under-25s down 26% (453 fewer offences), violence with injury down 13%, homicide down 17%. Met figures show 6% fewer violence against the person offences, with London safer than England and Wales averages.​

Murder Map listed 2025 London homicides, though none precisely matched the non-fatal south London cases here; examples include stabbings in other boroughs like Brent and Lewisham.​

Why Is a Safety Poll Being Conducted Now?

With these incidents in mind, South London News launched the poll:

“South London has seen several stabbings and shootings in the past year, so do residents and visitors feel safe? The boroughs of Croydon and Sutton have all seen major incidents in the past year… With these incidents in mind, we’re asking south Londoners: do you still feel safe in your local area?”

It directly references the Brighton Road and Grove Park attacks, alongside prior violence.​

The poll aims to capture public sentiment amid proactive policing, including more arrests and weapon seizures. As London Security College noted, hotspots like nearby Lambeth and Southwark face gang issues, but south London data shows mixed progress.

How Are Police Responding to These Incidents?

The Met has intensified efforts, with Sewart emphasising arrests and reductions. In Croydon, a man was swiftly arrested post-stabbing. West Midlands Police collaborated across forces for Sutton charges. Appeals persist: for Croydon, CAD7120/11Jan or CAD1720/11Jan; Crimestoppers for anonymity.

Policy Exchange urged zero-tolerance in top hotspots. City Hall reports positive outcomes up across crime types in Croydon, including knife crime down 19.5%.

What Do Residents Say About Feeling Safe?

While poll results are pending, the initiative reflects unease. Coverage lacks direct quotes from locals beyond the poll prompt, but incidents like the teenager’s slashing and woman’s stabbing fuel questions. Neighbouring boroughs’ lower stats offer contrast, yet Croydon’s lead heightens fears.