The most dangerous streets in the capital

Oxford Street was revealed today as the most dangerous street in central London.

The mile-long shopping destination tops a secret police list of troublespots with 258 violent offences reported last year - an average of five a week.

It has been the scene of more problems than Leicester Square or Charing Cross Road, where fights break out in the early hours.

By contrast, offences in Oxford Street peak in the afternoon when the pavements are crowded with shoppers and commuters.

The findings are contained in the confidential Metropolitan Police report seen by the Standard.

The report comes as police launch a summer crackdown on teenage g angs causing trouble, and in the wake of a 12 per cent rise in London street crime last month compared with April last year. As the Standard reported yesterday, the soaring levels of violence are being blamed partly on black-market demand for the latest mobile phones.

The Met report, headed " Violent Crime Analysis" and marked "Restricted", was produced by the force's Westminster Crime and Intelligence Unit.

It identifies the 11 streets in the borough with the highest rates of violent crime during the 12 months to March. It breaks down offences by the time of day they were committed. Only crimes reported to police are included in the figures.

While some of the incidents were sexual assaults or woundings, about half were minor assaults which often involved no injury. Across Westminster, police recorded 7,111 violent crimes last year.

Commander Chris Allison, in charge of policing in the borough, said the figures should be taken in the context of the large number of people walking along Oxford Street every day. "If you compare our level of assaults with other big cities, you will see that actually Westminster is a very safe place to live and work," he said.

Tony Blair has pledged to restore "respect in the communities" during Labour's third term.