There were four fatalities on Havering’s roads in the first eight months of this year - more than the total number killed in the whole of 2019.

The statistics, released by Transport for London, puts the borough second behind Ealing, Hillingdon and Sutton, which have seen five fatalities each so far this year.

The deaths in Havering include two people - a pedestrian and a person in a car - who were killed in an eight-vehicle collision in Squirrels Heath Road, Harold Hill, in February.

Another pedestrian was killed in Petersfield Avenue, Romford, in July.

The first fatal incident of the year took place on New Year’s Day, when a person in a car was killed at Gallows Corner. Last year, however, there were just three deaths recorded - all within just a few weeks of each other.

A pedestrian was killed at Gallows Corner in June 2019, with another killed on the A12 in July. The third involved a motorcyclist on the A127.

Across the capital, 125 people were killed on London’s roads in 2019, with 3,780 seriously injured.

TfL has used the release of the figures to reiterate its calls to make streets safer for those most at risk, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike riders.

That group made up 83 per cent of all people killed or seriously injured last year, with the organisation highlighting the need for measures including segregated cycle lanes and 20mph speed limits to be enforced.

Lilli Matson, the chief safety, health and environment officer at TfL, said: “Protecting everyone on the road – particularly people walking, cycling and motorcycling – is a priority for TfL, and the latest casualty statistics reveal why bringing in these strict new regulations is more important than ever.

“Introducing the Direct Vision Standard – the first standard in the world to reduce lethal blind spots from HGVs – combined with our wider work to reduce road danger will prevent more families, friends and communities from experiencing the devastation of road trauma.”

Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport, added: “It is not acceptable that anyone should be killed or seriously injured when travelling in the capital, and these sobering statistics highlight the vital importance of our work to protect those using London’s roads.”