A brutal machete duel at Sunday lunchtime, another scene from Khan’s ‘safe’ London
By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER and ISAAC CROWSON
Video captures masked teens attacking each other with machetes in broad daylight in family park
This is the moment a gang of masked teenagers attacked each other with machetes in a south London park.
The shocking violence unfolded at Burgess Park in Camberwell yesterday lunchtime, with the thugs seen trying to stab and slash one another in broad daylight.
The scene is yet another display of shocking violence in London, despite Sir Sadiq Khan repeatedly insisting the city as ‘safe’.
Earlier this year, the Mayor of London leapt on new statistics showing homicides at the lowest level on record to boast about his record on policing.
However, a closer look at the data reveals a range of other crimes, including violent assaults, have dramatically increased since he came to power in 2016.
Reports of violence against the person have soared by nearly a third between 2016/17 and 2025/26 to hit 242,777 in total.
Theft from the person has increased by 140 per cent over the same period while sexual and drug offences are up by 55 per cent and 34 per cent consecutively.
Yesterday’s footage shows four armed men fighting as an onlooker shouts ‘stab him’.
One of the men holds one of his rivals on the ground as his associate rushes in and starts trying to knife him.
Bystanders are heard shouting at the thugs to stop and they eventually run away.
The Metropolitan Police said four teenagers have been arrested over the incident in Camberwell, one of whom had taken himself to hospital for treatment for his injuries.
A spokesman said: ‘Police were called at around 12.30pm on Sunday, May 17 to reports of an altercation in Burgess Park, Camberwell.
‘Officers attended and searched the area with the assistance of the police helicopter. Four boys, aged 16 and 17, were arrested on suspicion of offences including affray, causing grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
‘Three boys were arrested near the scene, while a fourth was arrested later on Sunday evening. All four boys remain in police custody.
‘Two of the boys who were arrested were reported to have suffered injuries in the incident, which were not life-threatening or life-changing.
‘One, a 17-year-old boy, self-presented at hospital for treatment to wounds and was discharged later that afternoon, following which he was arrested at a property in Southwark.
‘The second boy, a 16-year-old, was taken to hospital by police and was later discharged.
‘The investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 3298/17MAY or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.’