London is now more dangerous than Harlem, according to figures released yesterday.
The chances of being mugged in Britain' s capital are 25 per cent higher than in the oncenotorious area of New York.
The statistics will put extra pressure on David Blunkett, as he struggles to contain a big rise in muggings on the streets of Britain's cities.
The figures, produced by the Conservatives, will also increase the Home Secretary's frustration with the Metropolitan Police which, say critics, is failing to tackle violent crime in the capital.
Mr Blunkett wants to know why the Metropolitan force has a similar budget to the New York Police Department but manages to field 30 per cent fewer officers.
He is also furious that murder rates in parts of London are soaring while in New York they are at a record low.
Now the Conservatives have produced figures showing how key parts of the American city also outperform London over mugging.
The Tories have found that in Harlem last year there were just 5.9 robberies per 1,000 residents.
Across London the figure was 7.4 attacks.
In some inner-city boroughs the level of street crime was even higher.
Lambeth, which includes Brixton, saw 24 muggings per 1,000 people - four times the Harlem rate.
Westminster - which includes Downing Street and Buckingham Palace - had 12 robberies per 1,000 residents.
The borough of Islington, where Tony Blair lived before becoming Prime Minister, saw 9.3 attacks per 1,000.
Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin said last night: 'You are now more likely to be robbed in London than you are in New York's Harlem.
'These latest figures validate the fears and concerns of London residents.'
Mr Letwin added: 'Labour promised to be tough on crime, but it is clearer by the day that there are fewer police on the beat and violent crime is rising across the capital's streets.'
Latest Metropolitan Police crime figures show street crime is rising in every London borough.
In some areas it has leapt by more than 70 per cent in a year. By contrast Harlem - the traditional home of black New Yorkers - has seen a major fall in crime since the 1980s when it was dominated by heavily armed drug gangs responsible for a spate of murders.
In the last five years crime has fallen 60 per cent and the murder rate is down 72 per cent.
The fall in crime is attributed to tough policing - at times the area has been flooded with patrol officers to drive the gangs off the streets - plus millions of pounds in government grants to rebuild the area and attract new businesses.
Major retailers like Gap and Disney are moving into the area and it is fast becoming a major tourist attraction.
Property values are soaring and unemployment is down.
Mr Blunkett has warned the Metropolitan Commissioner Sir John Stevens that he has six months to get street crime under control or face seeing his force taken over by the Home Office.
Metropolitan police chiefs blame soaring violent crime on the need to put thousands of officers on antiterrorist patrols in central London in the wake of September 11.
But a recent crackdown on mugging using hundreds of traffic officers to hunt street robbers has had some impact.
More money for overtime to keep up the pressure on muggers was announced in last week's Budget.
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