A woman has been stabbed to death in Edgware, north London.

Officers, London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance all attended but the woman died at the scene. They were responding to reports around 11.50am on Thursday, in Burnt Oak Broadway.

Enquiries are ongoing to identify and inform the woman's next of kin, the Metropolitan Police said, as it appealed to the public for any information that could assist with their investigation. Superintendent Tony Bellis said in a statement: "I understand the shock and concern this very sad incident will cause.

"I want to reassure people it will be investigated by a specialist team of experienced homicide detectives, and we will support them in their work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible. "Local residents will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days, I would ask the community is patient while officers carry out this vital work.

If you have any concerns, please speak to an officer or your local policing team." There have so far been no arrests and a crime scene remains in place. Recent data has shown that across the UK, knife crime has been on the rise recently.

It increased 7% from the year ending December 2022 to December 2023 and is up 81% over the last decade. London and the West Midlands have some of the highest levels of knife crime in England and Wales.

The Met Police recorded that knife crime was up by a fifth from 2022 to 2023, with three in 10 knife crimes in 2023 recorded in the capital city..