Fear of crime is not decreasing sufficiently despite falling crime levels, Lambeth’s top cop has admitted.

Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Nick Ephgrave said despite a year on year reduction in crime in the borough for the past seven years, “people’s perceptions of safety have not been affected by the reductions as we had imagined”.

He said Lambeth police was now concentrating on how to reduce public perceptions of the fear on crime through the policing pledge – a promise by the police to listen and act on residents’ and victims’ concerns - and informing them of progress made to combat them.