Scotland Yard reignited its feud with Donald Trump after new crime statistics showed homicides in London dropped to the lowest number in a decade.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said that London 'does not deserve the reputation which it is sometimes given' in what is bound to be seen as a thinly veiled dig at the US President's recent jibes about safety in the capital.

New figures today show there was just over one unlawful killing (1.07) per 100,000 people last year - an historic low for the capital.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley paid tribute to the results of 'relentless work' to drive down violent crime in the capital, despite claims from the likes of the US President that London has 'no go' areas.

He added: 'The results speak for themselves - fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered.

'Every murder is a tragedy, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to drive down serious violence.

'This work will not stop, and neither will our determination to keep Londoners safe.'

The Deputy Commissioner told reporters he would not 'get involved' in political commentary, but said today's figures proved the criticism was unfounded.

Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised London, and its mayor Sir Sadiq Khan

'And our message, not just to Londoners, but to the world, is that the facts speak for themselves. London is safe and getting safer.

'London does not deserve the reputation which it is sometimes given, and we are proud of the men and women of the Met who are part of making that difference.'

Last week the police arrested a number of young men linked to gang activity at a series of addresses in coordinated dawn raids across north-west London as part of the crackdown on organised criminals.

The Deputy Commissioner watched on as members of the Met's Tactical Support Group and other officers stormed eight properties linked to violence and drug dealing, making a series of arrests of suspects in their 20s and 30s. Five have since been charged with a range of offences.

At one property, police discovered a cache of weapons including a 'rambo' knife with a 20-25 inch blade which was stashed underneath a suspect's pillow.

Officers also found what they described as a 'serious large' quantity of suspected Class A and B drugs, and cutting equipment.

At another nearby address, police recovered what they believed to be in excess of £10,000 in cash from a suspected drug dealer's bedroom.