A wall of coffins representing the young lives lost to youth violence in the capital was on display at an event held to tackle the problem.

Neighbours Not Hoods was a free family “community empowered” event in Wandsworth which included talks on child sexual exploitation, shared responsibility, gangs, family support, youth engagement, bullying, social media and having a voice in the local community.

‘The Wall of Pain’, an art installation created by volunteer youth worker and community artist Philip Dorman, was comprised of 185 brick sized, handmade wooden coffins.

Each brick represented the death of a young person who was murdered in London between 2005 and 2015.

128 were stabbed, 32 were shot, 13 were beaten, two killed through arson, three strangled and seven killed due to other violent causes.

Mr Dorman, a Battersea resident, felt it was the right time to display the art after the recent surge in youth murders in Wandsworth “to underline the tragedy, the scale of lives lost, the pain felt by family, friends and communities who are continually grieving”.

He said: “The event is so important because it demonstrates a positive community wanting to be proactive in making a difference to the lives of young people on our streets.”

A minute’s silence was observed in memory of all those who have lost their lives as a result of violent youth crime.

The event took place at Providence House Youth Club, Falcon Road, Battersea, on Saturday, May 27.