Hackney hit and run casualties among highest in London

Damaged railing on Amhurst Road following collision. Photograph: Matt Biddulph

Hackney has the third highest number of hit and run casualties in London, new Met Police figures show.

A total of 219 people were injured in hit and runs in Hackney in 2012, the latest year for which figures are available.

Two people were killed, with a further 25 receiving ‘serious’ injuries. Close to another 200 received ‘slight’ injuries.

Only Newham and Westminster saw more casualties, with 225 and 220 respectively.

The figures, obtained by the Green group in the London Assembly, show there were nearly 4,000 injuries arising from hit and runs across London in 2012.

Of these, car occupants made up nearly 40 per cent of casualties, with pedestrians forming the next largest group. One in five casualties was a cyclist.

The Greens attributed the high number of casualties in Hackney to the borough’s deprivation.

Ian Wingrove, a spokesperson for the party, said: “Mostly it is linked to low incomes. People dodge paying road tax and insurance, they then want to get clear of the scene of a crash.”

People who had had their driving licence taken away, or otherwise wanted to keep out of contact with the police, were also likely to have contributed, he said.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “We continue to work closely with the police in terms of our efforts to stop vehicles that are uninsured.”