Man in 40s latest London murder victim after weekend of bloodshed leaves three others dead

A man in his forties became London’s latest murder victim early today after a weekend of bloodshed that left three others dead.

The victim, the fourth person to be killed in 55 hours, collapsed with multiple stab wounds in Whalebone Lane, 50 yards from Stratford police station in east London at 12.40 am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene about 20 minutes later, Scotland Yard said. Officers believe they know his identity and next of kin have been informed.

The other murder victims were two teenagers and a man in his thirties, while there were also a number of other knife attacks. A total of 14 people have been arrested in connection with the killings.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said police “cannot hide from the terrible weekend”, but denied they had lost control of the streets.

He pledged more patrols and targeted operations by the Yard’s 300-strong Violent Crime Taskforce, insisting he had the resources needed to “increase our tempo” and “bear down on violence”.

Mayor Sadiq Khan called the level of violence “unacceptably high” and tweeted: “Met police patrols — including the City Hall-funded Violent Crime Task Force — have been stepped up to tackle the scourge of violence in our city. Officers are working tirelessly in their efforts to keep our streets safe.”

Detectives were today trawling for clues in Stratford in an alleyway outside a park.

Rashid Ali, 38, who lives in a flat near the scene, was woken up by sirens. “I looked out of the window and there were lots of cops, more than a dozen, in the alleyway,” he said. “Then paramedics seemed to turn up very quickly. All the roads here are closed down. It’s terrifying to happen so close to my home.“

Other residents said the alleyway was a hotspot for drug dealing. One said: “The park is dangerous for us residents. It’s a short cut to the shops in Stratford and I would take it in daylight. But after dark it is a no-go.”

A crime scene tent was in place this morning, while a large police cordon surrounded the area. There have been no arrests so far.

The weekend’s bloodshed began when Cheyon Evans, 18, a painting and decorating student at Lambeth College, was repeatedly stabbed in the gardens of a housing estate in Tooting at 4.42pm on Friday.

Twelve minutes later, Eniola Aluko, 19, was shot dead in a car park near Plumstead station.

Shortly after 2.30pm on Saturday a man in his thirties was knifed to death in Alton Street, Poplar. A crowd of about 15 worshippers from the nearby Lansbury Estate Mosque attempted to save the victim.

At least five other people suffered knife wounds during the weekend.

A 45-year-old man today remained in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed in the chest in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.

Three men were knifed in separate attacks in Clapham and Brixton on Saturday morning, and a 15-year-old boy was slashed in the face in Tufnell Park yesterday afternoon.

Also on Saturday evening, a mob of 100 youths pelted police with bottles as they investigated a robbery near Westfield in Stratford.

The spate of attacks led to renewed criticism of Mr Khan from US President Donald Trump, who called the London mayor a “disaster”. A City Hall spokesman said Mr Khan was focusing on supporting communities.

A 17-year-old from Merton, who cannot be named, and Mohammed Nadir Dafallah, 18, from Wandsworth, were due to appear in court today accused of Cheyon Evans’s murder.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Eniola Aluko’s murder.

Two men, aged 33 and 28, were today being questioned after being arrested on suspicion of murder after the incident in Poplar.