The police response to the stabbing of Peter Woodhams, the young father later shot dead, was "unacceptable", a senior Met officer has said.

Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said the force has ordered a review of all unsolved serious assaults across London.

Mr Woodhams, a 22-year-old father of one, was murdered after confronting youths near his house in Canning Town, east London, last month.

In January he was stabbed in his neck - some believe by the same teenage gang.

His fiancee, Miss Jan Bowden, 23, said she phoned police every day for five weeks after the stabbing, but no-one was caught. The teenagers have terrorised her and their three-year-old son Sam ever since, she claimed.

The UK's police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), is now investigating whether officers had done their job at the time.

On Friday Mr Stephenson had to update a committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), which oversees the Met, on the case.

"Based on what we have seen thus far there are obviously some very serious concerns that need proper investigation," the senior officer said.

"I've got to be careful not to prejudice the inquiry but I think I am giving a clear indication that I ... consider some of the issues that appear to be coming out of the initial report in the first instance unacceptable.

"We've got to be careful we do not judge people unfairly on this and we've got to be careful we don't undermine the IPCC investigation, but we're taking it very seriously."

Earlier, Miss Bowden said the stabbing was in the same area as the murder and also followed a confrontation with youths. Back then, Mr Woodhams had challenged them for throwing a stone at his car.

Several people anonymously gave names and addresses to police of youths heard boasting about the stabbing, Miss Bowden added. But no-one bothered to take a statement from her.

No arrests were made.

"They (the gang) were always taunting us," she said. "They knew they had stabbed Peter and got away with it. They thought they were untouchable."

The Met has now ordered every borough in London to go over all unsolved grievous bodily harm attacks. Newham, where the murder took place, has already started the review.