Less than half of Europeans citizens living in Hackney have applied for settled status, government figures show.

The data released in September shows that 18,260 of the 36,000 (50.7 per cent) European nationals living in Hackney have not yet applied for settled status.

It is essential for European Londoners to apply for settled status in order to secure their right to remain in the UK when Britain does leave the EU.

Sadiq Khan has blamed Boris Johnson's government for the high number of Londoners who have not registered. He said in a statement: "These 18,000 Londoners are our friends, our colleagues and our neighbours.

"Instead of stripping them of their rights and making them feel unwelcome - we should be doing precisely the opposite. The Tories have already failed the Windrush generation and is on the verge of failing EU citizens who live here too"

David, owner of Stunt Dolly Salon from Hackney Downs, is Italian-Australian and has not yet signed up for settled status.

He said: "I think some people are hoping that this will all go away and we won't leave the EU. Nearly 80 per cent of Hackney residents voted to stay in the EU, that's one of the highest in the country and maybe people are hoping we will stay. There's also a feeling that people think when the government has made a final decision on Brexit, then they will apply.

"I haven't yet applied mainly because of the jumble that the government is going through right now and also up until recently it hasn't been possible to apply on iPhones."