Gangs in London will also be looking to reclaim their turf when the Government decides to roll back the months-long shutdown which has transformed the daily lives of millions of Britons. Officers predict a surge in crime when public gatherings are reinstated and pubs and clubs reopen.

David Jamieson, police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands, told The Times: “I have concerns that we could have tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of young people in the West Midlands — particularly young men – who, around about June or July, find they have got no job to go back to.

He added: “I fear that we may be facing a summer crime wave.

“Young men out of work, venues reopening and large groups congregating is a toxic mix for crime.”

Mr Jamieson said antisocial behaviour and violent incidents fuelled by alcohol could potentially spike in the coming months.

And as Londoners re-emerge onto the streets, they could be greeted with a huge increase in knife crime, police have said.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, warned “drug dealing and gang fighting will increase” when the nationwide lockdown is lifted.

He said: “Gangs are not out at the moment because of the virus, but ultimately they will want to reassert their position.”

Earlier this month, Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said knife crime across the capital had “dropped considerably” since people were ordered to stay home.

Boris Johnson imposed the lockdown on March 23, telling Britons they should not leave their homes unless the journey is absolutely essential.

Paul Griffith, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, said the knock-on effects of the coronavirus lockdown could be a driving factor in pushing crime up.

“It is well known that with any sort of social and economic deprivation, we run the risk of a rise in crime and disorder,” he explained.

As the restrictions on public movement are lifted, Mr Griffith warned that reports of crimes occurring in the home could increase dramatically.

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Domestic violence and child sexual exploitation statistics are some of the crimes which may come to light.

In early April, a top economist warned one in five Britons could find themself without a job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Blanchflower, who worked at the Bank of England during the 2008 financial crisis, said six million people in the UK, or 21 percent of the population, could end up with no work.

Writing in The Guardian, Mr Blanchflower said experts’ calculations of the impact the lockdown could have were “scary”.

“There has never been such a concentrated business collapse,” he explained.

“The Government has tried to respond but it has no idea of the scale of the problem it is going to have to deal with.

“We make some back-of-the-envelope calculations and they are scary.”

Yael Selfin, chief economist for KPMG, predicted the numbers to be slightly higher.

He told City Am: “We estimate that as many as 13 million jobs are in sectors highly affected by the lockdown, representing 36 per cent of all jobs in the UK.

“[This] could see unemployment rising to just under nine per cent during the lockdown period.”

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