An Islingon Council (London) report revealed that as many as 1,800 girls under the age of 18 are in danger of female genital mutilation (FGM), with 1,300 of those being at “high risk”. The local Whittington Hospital in Magdala Avenue has reported 727 referrals associated with FGM between 2004 and 2009 – with the number of incidents rising annually. Councillor Paul Convery, the local authority’s executive member for community safety, told the Islington Gazette that FGM is carried out in the area, but a “fog of mystery surrounds it”.

1,800 girls in London at risk of FGM