Tube stations: the safest places in Islington?

Emily Thornberry has criticised Islington's Lib Dem Council in a recent question to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, saying that "in their recently trumpeted installation of CCTV cameras in Islington, [the council] have installed fewer CCTV cameras in the whole of the borough than Ken Livingstone has installed in the Angel tube station".

In response to recent Metropolitan Police statistics, which show crime in London at it lowest level for 10 years, Emily Thornberry praised the Mayor of London's commitment to Safer Neighbourhood Teams and CCTV at tube stations.

However, she added that "local authorities have a part to play in fighting crime, [which] has hardly been played well by my local Liberal council in Islington" - citing the Council's poor track record for CCTV on the streets and estates it manages.

At last year's council elections, Islington's Lib Dems trumpeted their plans to install 30 more CCTV cameras across the borough. However, in an embarrassing comparison, figures uncovered by Emily Thornberry reveal the Mayor of London's investment in the Underground is bringing the total number of CCTV at tube stations in her constituency up to nearly 500 - with 63 cameras at Angel station alone.

Even after their proposed increase, the council will operate just 75 CCTV cameras on streets and estates in Emily Thornberry's constituency - with Barnsbury coming out worst with just 2 cameras for the entire ward.

Mayor of London's Tube Station Investment in Islington South & Finsbury:

Islington Council CCTV on streets and estates, by ward in Islington South & Finsbury:

Emily said:

"The Mayor's funding shows real commitment to public safety. The current Lib Dem Council, in contrast, are just playing at it."