More than 1,100 hit-and-run road crashes have taken place in Haringey over the past five years, the second highest rate in London.

Figures released this week reveal that only Hackney has a bigger problem with hit-and-runs - a collision in which one or more of the drivers or riders involved leave the scene without exchanging details or awaiting the arrival of the police.

In 2004 there were 854 collisions in Haringey. Of those, 176 concerned collisions where one of the parties did not stop after the accident - 21 per cent. Hackney was top with 25 per cent.

In absolute terms, Haringey also has more hit-and-runs than the London average, with Westminster topping the table at 1,400 incidents.

The figures were disclosed by Stephen Ladyman MP, Secretary of State for Transport, in response to a query by the Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone.

Such is the concern about hit-and-runs in London, Transport for London (TfL) released a report looking into the matter in April. It found that more than one-third of hit-and-runs happened between 3pm and 8pm.

A spokesman for the collision investigation unit at Euston Traffic Garage, which deals with serious road accidents and fatalities in Haringey, said hit-and-run fatalities were still very rare.

He said the reason people do not stop is often because they have no insurance or driving licence'.

"Normally the ones we come across are not law-abiding members of the public," he said.