London Mayor Sadiq Khan was put on the defensive over a sharp rise in crime across the city since he took office in 2016, in a heated exchange that reflects growing political pressure on his record.

• Crime in London has climbed steadily over Khan's nine years as mayor, with overall crime up 26%.
• The biggest jumps were in shoplifting, robbery, sexual offenses, and theft, along with a rise in knife crime and violence.
• Pressed to admit the numbers, Khan tried to deflect by pointing to one narrow category that fell, then repeatedly stalled by demanding the time frame.
• The clash frames crime as a central weakness for Khan and fuel for his critics.

Outlook: Crime will stay a top political battleground in London, keeping pressure on Khan to show results or lose ground to opponents.