Man stabbed to death near Oxford Street

A man has been stabbed to death in a side road near Oxford Street in central London.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street at around 11.40am on Monday.

The London Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance attended, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene 40 minutes later. A man has been arrested.

A Metropolitan Police statement said: “At 11:40am, police were called to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street, W1. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.

“A man was found with stab wounds. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.20pm. His identity has yet to be confirmed. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident.”

Poland Street is off Oxford Street, which one of the busiest shopping areas in Europe and attracts tens of thousands of visitors per day, and runs into Soho, known for its nightlife.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street, central London.

“We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer to the scene. Our first paramedic arrived in less than seven minutes. Despite the best efforts of our teams, the patient sadly died at the scene.”