Almost one in four murders in Havering are of babies, disturbing figures revealed this week.

The borough had 13 murders in the last five years, with three of these being youngsters under one-year-old.

It’s the highest number of baby murders in any London borough, with toddler deaths accounting for 23 per-cent of all Havering homicides.

The tragic tots include Harvey Jackson, of Harold Hill, who was murdered on March 27, 2006, Neo Craig, also of Harold Hill, who was killed on Christmas eve 2006 and Fletcher Allen, of Collier Row, who died on January 6 this year.

The Freedom of Information figures, released by the Metropolitan Police last week, officially count four baby murders in Havering. However one of these, Jack Vincent, of Romford, was found to have died due to neglect on July 7 last year.

The Havering Child Abuse Investigation Team’s Detective Inspector Colin Welsh said there was “no rhyme or reason” why there were so many babies murdered in Havering.

He added: “QUOTE TO COME”

However Havering had the fewest number of murders in total of any east London borough, from January 2006 to September 2011.

Neighbouring Redbridge and Bexley had slightly more, with 14 murders, while Barking and Dagenham had 20, and Newham 56.

The safest borough in London was Richmond upon Thames with just one murder. Lambeth in south London topped the chart with 79 murders.

Across London there were 837 murders, taking into consideration the mistakenly counted baby Jack Vincent’s death.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, head of the Met’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said murder rates had been falling over the past few years.

He said: “The work of very many people in the police, communities and other organisations, and their efforts in preventing crime in the first place, has helped achieve this reduction.

We want that to continue and the help of the public is essential in achieving both the arrests and convictions that follow.