Two Teenagers Held Over Schoolboy Stab Murder

Two schoolboys have been arrested over the murder of a teenager on a busy high street in south east London.

16-year-old Yemurai Kanyangarara was stabbed in the neck on July 1 after getting off a bus with a friend.

Three teenage boys approached Yemurai, and one took a weapon, believed to be a knife, from out of his clothing and stabbed him in the neck. The youths then fled.

An eyewitness said he watched the boy's life "slip away" as he lay bleeding on the pavement on Upper Wickham Lane.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dunne said: "You've got someone 16 years old, a schoolboy, being stabbed in broad daylight in a busy street in front of many, many shoppers out enjoying the afternoon. It's about as bad as it gets.

"It's among the very worst I've investigated in 25 years, the sheer brutality against a defenceless schoolboy."

The two teenagers held on suspicion of murder are a 15-year-old boy from Peckham and a 14-year-old boy from Camberwell.

Yemurai went to St Columba's Catholic Boys' School in Bexleyheath and had recently finished his GCSEs.

Yemurai's father Kelton left a tribute to his murdered son on his Facebook page saying: "My boy is gone it is so painful - my heart is bleeding. RIP my boy I will always love you."

The police have asked for anyone who witnessed the stabbing or has information that they think might help the murder investigation to call Lewisham police station on 020 8721 4906 .

Or, if they wish to remain anonymous, they should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 .

More to follow...