The mayor of London issued an impassioned plea for action to stop youth violence this week.

Boris Johnson is calling on readers to back a series of strategies aimed at giving young people something to focus on other than crime, in an effort to rebuild their respect and self-respect.

His call follows the murder of 27 young people on London's streets so far this year.

Mr Johnson said: “Of course we need to be tough on any kind of criminal activity, and there is no substitute for strong policing solutions.

“But we also need to recognise that there are huge opportunities to help these youngsters, before their lives go irretrievably wrong.”

The plan, dubbed “Time for Action”, will involve encouraging young people to become part of organisations like the cadets and the scouts, which he says build character, and bringing different organisations together to cut truancy.

But the project will also see job training for young people in prisons, which Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor for policing, said can otherwise amount to “crime academies”, and more support for children in care.

The final strategy is one where both Harrow and Brent have already done a lot of work – getting young people involved in sport.

Sam Lawson, 22, of Chalk Hill, in Wembley, said without football training, with local coach Peter Moring, his life could have been very different.

Mr Lawson said: “I think I would have got into more trouble. I would have been in the wrong company more often and there would have been bad things happening.

“There's people from school who have been to prison, got involved with drugs a lot.

“I probably live on the same street as about three or four drug dealers. That's serious. It's very hard not to take drugs when it's just always in your face. You have to be very strong willed.”

Ravi Shukle, 22, of Pinner Road, North Harrow, spent three years campaigning to improve the basketball courts in Harrow Recreation Ground, to bring his community together.

He said: “I think projects like this are important to recognise the community and to actually give something back.

“We are lucky to have a central park which everyone can come to. The main factor for youth crime prevention is stuff like tournaments because it's outside the school environment.

“If they had a school event other schools wouldn't be able to go, but if you do it locally there's no limit to the number of people you can involve.”

He said he once had 200 people at a tournament, and all of the events he holds are free.

So far 27 young people have been murdered across London this year but for people in Harrow who work to stop youth crime the number has a different significance.

Ravi was one of 27 young people in the borough to be given Golden Citizen Awards for their contributions to tackling the problem.