Man held over London stabbing murders as police link attacks

An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and grievous bodily harm as police said two killings and an assault in north London were being treated as linked and provided more details of a night of bloody carnage on the streets of the capital.

Two men were stabbed to death within two hours of each other in Camden on Tuesday shortly after a third man had been attacked with a knife.

Scotland Yard said based on the proximity in time and locations, the nature of the attacks and developing lines of inquiry, the murders in Bartholomew Road and Malden Road, along with the assault in Aldenham Street were being treated as linked.

An 18-year-old was arrested on Thursday in Camden on suspicion of two counts of murder and one count of grievous bodily harm. He is in custody at an east London police station.

Four men – aged 24, 23, 20 and 21 – were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with the attack in Aldenham Street. They were taken into custody at a central London police station and have been released under investigation.

DCI Paul Considine, leading the investigation, said: “What is clear is that there were three violent attacks, by a group of men armed with knives, within about two hours of each other and within about a mile of each other.

“I need the public’s help to establish the exact circumstances in which two young men were murdered and another seriously injured, and to identify the people responsible.

“I am asking local residents or those people who were out in the area that night to think back – and if they saw something that may help us, please get in contact. I can understand why some people may be reluctant or nervous about coming forward but we need your help. We will treat your information in the strictest of confidence.

“I also believe that there are people out there who know exactly who is responsible. I would urge you to do the right thing and tell us what you know. It is not too late.

“Two families are suffering a terrible loss, and you could hold the answers to what happened to their sons, brothers, loved ones, best friends.”

Considine said police were investigating a blue van seen in the area of the two murders and appealed for information from anyone who saw the vehicle.

On Tuesday at about 8pm, officers in Eversholt Street, Camden, were following a car when they were flagged down by a member of the public.

In Aldenham Street, outside a block of flats, officers found a 16-year-old boy who had been stabbed. He remains in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

At this stage it is believed that the victim was with another boy in Chalton Street when a group of about three men chased them before stabbing the victim.

After the Aldenham Street incident, police were called by the ambulance service at about 8.30pm to Bartholomew Road to reports of a seriously injured teenager.

Officers found a 17-year-old boy who had been stabbed. He is believed to be Abdikarim Hassan, who lived in the Camden area. He died at the scene.

Police were then called at 10.13pm to reports of a disturbance in Malden Road, where they found a 20-year-old man with serious stab wounds. He died at the scene and has been named as Sadiq Aadam Mohamed.

Detectives have established that Mohamed and his friend were chased by a group of four men along an alleyway leading to Malden Road before they stabbed him. His friend was uninjured. The suspects then fled towards Prince of Wales Road.