A “worrying increase” in serious youth violence and attacks on women are the subject of a report by the town hall chief.

Serious attacks among the borough’s young people have shot up 40 per cent in the past 12 months and there were 2,765 assaults on females, including domestic violence, rape and sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, honour crimes, trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The document, delivered by Islington Council’s executive member for community safety to a meeting of the policy and performance scrutiny committee on November 10, also covers the borough’s special role in fighting violent extremism.

The report says: “Incidents of domestic violence and serious youth violence are among the worrying increases in crime types as they both contribute to long-term victimisation and vulnerability.

“On the one hand they create a legacy of violence and aggression while on the other they ruin the lives of many young people, setting in chain a possible lifetime in criminality or destroying the potential of Islington’s future where young people grow into adulthood without having established sustainable lifestyles for themselves and their families.”

It adds: “The council is increasingly aware that a relatively small number of households and individuals represent a significant proportion of crime, with some offenders responsible for multiple offences including some of the gravest.”

The increase in youth violence is blamed in part on the big reduction in the smartphone thefts that have “plagued” the borough, with young criminals now turning to a new type of crime.

In a bid to reduce violence against women, the council has set up three new support services, including advocacy for both men and women.

Staff at the Whittington Hospital, in Magdala Avenue, Archway, have also been trained to refer domestic violence victims.

The document says Islington has a “significant role in preventing violent extremism emerging in the community”.

A steering group, chaired by Paul Convery, Islington’s executive member for community safety, also promotes community cohesion.