The victim of a terrifying violent moped mugging has launched a campaign to raise awareness of “viscious” street crime in the capital.
Kirat Nandra, 51, can speak from experience. She was targeted in North Road, Highgate, by two moped riders in September last year. She suffered broken ribs, concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kirat has now set up “Living With London Street Crime” to campaign for measures to combat the issue and bring perpetrators to justice.
She told the Ham and High: “Crime is out of control, especially in north London. It’s getting nastier and more vicious.
“I can’t see what the police is doing, and I do appreciate there has been huge cuts, but my friends are scared to let their kids out in the streets.”
Kirat had to move away from Highgate after the moped pillion dragged her into the road at high speed and stole her handbag.
She said: “I was told when I went into hospital that, if I wasn’t as fit and as strong as I was, I could have died.”
Of the continued violent crime across the city, Kirat added: “We had six stabbings last Monday and every time I pick up the paper there’s another attack.
“People aren’t reporting it because they know nothing will be done.
“Those young adults that are causing these crimes are still there so it’s only going to go one way, which is worse.”
Hornsey and Wood Green MP Catherine West said: “What happened to Kirat was horrendous and she has been incredibly brave using her ordeal to speak out.
“You can’t protect communities on the cheap, yet Tory cuts to our police force are putting safety at risk.”
Ms West called for home secretary Sajid Javid to scale back the £400million cuts the Met is expected to make by 2021, but added City Hall should explore the “public health” approach taken to violent crime in cities like Glasgow.
Meanwhile, Kirat’s running club, the Highgate Harriers, is holding the “Night of a Thousand Personal Bests” at Parliament Hill on Saturday, alongside “Bikes Up Knives Down”, a group aiming to reduce youth violence.
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