The grim tally of violent deaths in London so far this year has reached 119, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned on Monday that it could take a generation to turn the tide of violent crime.

The victims in the recent spate of deaths, which are not being linked by police, include "adored" father Rocky Djelal, 38, who was fatally stabbed in broad daylight in Southwark Park in Rotherhithe, on Wednesday, October 31.

The following day, 15-year-old Jay Hughes was killed in Bellingham after a stab wound to the heart. Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was fatally knifed on Friday outside Clapham South Tube Station in near where he studied.

On Sunday, Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez, 22, was fatally stabbed in Anerley and last night (Monday, November 6) after Mr Khan’s comments a 16-year-old boy became the fifth person to be stabbed to death in six days.

A third of the cases this year (42) involved victims aged 16 to 24, while 20 were teenagers. The Mayor of London has warned it could take a generation to turn the tide of violent crime.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme Mr Khan said that the success in Glasgow at stopping bloodshed showed that similar efforts in London would take time.

He has adopted the public health approach used by authorities in the Scottish city, where bodies such as health, education, social services, housing and police worked together to stop young people becoming involved in crime.

The mayor said: "It will take some time. I know that because of the lessons we've learnt from places like Glasgow, where it took them some time to turn this round.

"To really make significant progress can take up to 10 years, a generation.

"They saw in Scotland what we are seeing in London, which is children in primary schools thinking not only is it OK to carry a knife, but it gives them a sense of belonging in joining a criminal gang and it makes them feel safer and they see nothing wrong in getting involved in this sort of behaviour."

Mr Khan’s comments were followed by Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy who said that it had been a "terrible" few days in the capital as he announced that hundreds more police officers would be on duty.

He said: "Tragically, we have had four murders since Wednesday of last week, none of them are connected.

"That's four families, four groups of friends and acquaintances, who have all been tragically affected by this senseless violence."

Following the recent spate of murders, hundreds more police officers will be on duty across London, although it has been said the weeks around Halloween and bonfire night were always the busiest for police.

The Met's violent crime taskforce has carried out more than 21,000 weapons searches since April, seizing hundreds of guns and knives.