The leader of Brent Council has called on everyone to do their bit in the wake of a series of high profile violent crimes.

Cllr Muhammed Butt said creating a safe environment is the responsibility of everyone in the community but acknowledged that his council has a key role to play.

It comes after several worrying incidents on the border of the boroughs of Brent and Harrow in recent weeks.

On May 14, shots were fired at a car in Kingsbury and, on May 1, a man was shot dead and another hospitalised during a shooting outside Queensbury tube station.

Cllr Butt said: “The safety of our residents is our number one priority and we are doing all we can to create a safe environment for everyone in Brent.

“We’ve invested an extra £415,000 for additional police officers to help tackle crime at a local level and have a successful gang exit programme designed to support those wanting to remove themselves from violent crime and gang culture.

“But these measures alone are never going to be enough. The Council will play its role, but safety in our community is a job for all of us.

“Parents, schools, neighbours, faith and other community leaders must work together to help prevent the causes behind these crimes.”

Figures have apportioned the blame for an increase in violent crime in London at the feet of the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan.

Conservative supporters argue that things have gone backwards under Mr Khan and, in Harrow, for example, they have accused the Labour-run council of not doing enough to improve safety.

Those on the other side argue that the main issues stem from severe Government cuts to the police service, with the Met forced to find millions of pounds worth of savings over the past few years.

In an article on the blog ‘Conservative Home’, former Brent councillor Joel Davidson, along with Amir Sadjay, wrote that the Tories “must take [their] share of responsibility”.

While hitting out at Mr Khan, and praising his predecessor Boris Johnson, they also noted that “the Government must accept responsibility and take concrete action to restore [the Conservatives] as the party of law and order”.