The number of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance in Tottenham fell last month but remains the highest across London, latest figures show.

In May, 4,818 people claimed the benefit – a fall from 4,937 claimants in April – but at 5.2 per cent of the working population in the borough, the figures remains almost double the London average of 2.7 per cent.

Members of the Haringey branch of the Trade Union Council (TUC) say job creation in the private sector is failing to fill the gap left by government cuts and austerity.

Secretary Keith Flett said: “Prime Minister David Cameron has claimed that the private sector has created two million jobs, but not enough of those have been in Tottenham.

“A new Sainsbury’s at Northumberland Park has provided several hundred jobs and a booming food and drink sector is creating jobs, but for the time being in quite small numbers.

“It may well be that over the next few years the new Spurs stadium and regeneration of the area, although controversial in some respects, may provide more jobs.

“However it is a damming indictment of Government policy that 4 years after it took office, Tottenham still has the highest jobless in London. It does look as if the government really doesn’t care that much about the matter.”

No-one at the North London Chamber of Commerce was available for comment this afternoon.