The logjam was revealed as mayor Sadiq Khan called on the UK government to create a “large-scale, secure facility” to begin processing high-priority cases.

Data from the Metropolitan Police indicates that there are 227,000 complainants and witnesses due to attend court.

Officers told the mayor’s office there are at least two cases in which complainants attempted suicide after being told their trials were delayed.

In a letter to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC, Mr Khan called for urgent help to resolve the backlog.

“There is a need for a facility with cells for holding defendants, adequate security measures to ensure the safety of all victims and witnesses, and a large enough space to hear a multi-defendant case while maintaining social distancing,” he wrote.