LONDON: London police on Tuesday said they were investigating a fifth stabbing in four days in the same north London district as the authorities try to get a grip on a surge in knife crime in Britain.

Four victims were stabbed from behind over the weekend in the Edmonton area of northwest London, and detectives said they believed it was not linked to terrorism and a single suspect was involved.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remain in custody. In the fifth attack, police said a man in his 30s was found with stab injuries early on Tuesday morning and was in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

Prime Minister Theresa May (centre) hosts a Serious Youth Violence Summit flanked by London Mayor Sadiq Khan (left) in central London on Monday. Adrian Dennis/AFP

"I am aware that events from the weekend have caused a huge amount of worry and concern among the community, and that this incident will cause further alarm," Detective Superintendent Luke Marks said.

"While at this stage the incident has not yet been formally linked, the location and manner of this attack will be of concern to the public."

On Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May held a special meeting to discuss tackling Britain's soaring knife crime.

The new proposals could see teachers, nurses and police officers held to account if they fail to spot warning signs of violent crime among young people.

"In recent months we've seen appalling number of young lives cut short or devastated by serious violence crime including a number of horrifying incidents this weekend," May said.

"In many cases the perpetrators of these crimes are as young as their victims and this is something that has to be of deep concern to us all."

There were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in 2018, the highest level since records began more than 70 years ago, officials statistics showed last month.

Police say the surge in knife crime in a country where guns are hard to obtain has been driven by several factors, including rivalries between drug gangs, cuts to youth services and provocations on social media.

However, the government's new approach faced opposition from some union officials and lawmakers.

"Neither the blame for or the solution to violent crime can be laid at the door of schools or front-line hospital staff," said Mary Bousted, who works at the National Education Union.

"Schools already have strong safeguarding practices in place and staff will be alerted to any issues of concern. The problem is what happens after issues of concern have been identified."

The Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned the value of the summit. "I've never been convinced that summits solve anything very much, what you need is action," he said on LBC radio.

Reuters