LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall has said it is “deeply concerned” following a homophobic attack outside a gay bar and nightclub in Clapham and is calling on the Government to do more to tackle hate crime.

On Sunday (August 13) at around 10:15pm police were called to Clapham High Street where two men had been stabbed outside the Two Brewers gay bar and nightclub.

The victims, one aged in their 20s and the other in their 30s, were stabbed by a man whilst they stood outside the nightclub.

They were treated in hospital and discharged.

Metropolitan Police officers are searching for the suspect in the attack, which they are treating as homophobic.

Campaign group Stonewall has called on the government to set out a plan to deal with hate crime in the wake of a homophobic stabbing in south London.

The organisation said there has been no government hate crime strategy in place for the past three years.

In a series of entries on Twitter, now known as X, the LGBT+ charity said:

“We are appalled to hear that two men have been stabbed in an apparent homophobic attack outside a LGBTQ+ venue in Clapham.

“It is unacceptable for LGBTQ+ people to live in fear.

“We call on the UK Govt to set out its plan to deal with rising hate crime.”

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, 11,592 hate crimes due to sexual orientation were recorded by police in 2017/18, rising by 41 per cent to 26,152 in 2021/22.

Stonewall said despite the rise “the UK Government has sat idle and there has been no hate crime strategy in place in England for over three years”.

A Government spokesperson said: “These reports are deeply concerning and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

“It’s right that we give the police space to investigate this incident and it would be inappropriate to comment further while an investigation is ongoing.”