The Metropolitan police's new chief today claimed his officers were having to deal with an increasing number of murders committed by mentally ill people.

Speaking at the closing session of the two-day Guardian public services summit, Sir Ian Blair said that although the "staples" of crime, such as burglary and domestic violence, were on the decline, his officers had to tackle a rise in serious crime, particularly murders committed by those with mental health problems.
He said "agencies" were failing to manage the problem.