Anyone worried about being attacked in the High Street needs to master the Croydon handshake, according to slang website Urban Dictionary.

The newly added term describes dealing with potential troublemakers by reaching inside a jacket to grab an invisible knife or gun, prompting the would be attacker to flee.

An example of usage given in the online dictionary, which is a collection of phrases entering the modern vocabulary, reads: “If I get stopped by a chav at West Croydon station, I'll give him a Croydon handshake.”

The renowned Croydon Facelift, which involves pulling hair into a topknot and so stretching the skin of the face, has also made the website along with several other references to the borough.

Another entry, the Croydon Strobe, describes the flashing light show filling pubs and clubs from a police car or ambulance dealing with trouble outside.