Stabbed schoolboy begged 'don't let me die' as he bled to death in London street

A Metropolitan police officer stands near a police cordon and forensic tent on Paget Terrace, near the scene in Eglinton Road
-Credit: (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)


A schoolboy who was stabbed to death in south-east London said "I'm 15, don't let me die" as he lay bleeding, a witness has revealed. The 43-year-old woman told the PA news agency that she tried to save the teenager as he lay mortally wounded in the road outside her flat.

Police were called at around 6.30pm on Sunday to reports of a disturbance on Eglinton Road, Woolwich. The boy was found at the scene with a stab injury and he died a short time later.

The witness, who does not wished to be named and has lived in the area for 14 years, said that she was in her bedroom when a person across the road screamed "someone's been stabbed, someone's been stabbed". She said that she grabbed a sheet and ran outside without shoes and socks, finding the boy face down on the floor.

READ MORE: Woman dies after crash on busy road

READ MORE: Woman unable to' curl her toes' told she had one year to live halfway through pregnancy

The boy had a gash on his head and a "massive pool of blood" by his leg, the witness said. She said that she tried to stem the flow of blood until paramedics arrived.

The witness went on: "I asked if I could go and shower because I was covered in his blood, and they said 'yes' so I went in and showered. I come back out and they (the police) called me over because I was the last one with him he was going to me 'I'm 15, I'm 15, don't let me die' and I said to him 'you're not going to die, mate'."

She said the victim was "the most polite boy" when she had encountered him around their neighbourhood. Asked if she knew the victim well, she added: "No, I didn't, but I always said hello and that, and he was always polite or moved out of the way when you were walking."

Police were called at around 6.30pm on Sunday to reports of a disturbance on Eglinton Road, Woolwich (Rosie Shead/PA)
A police cordon near the scene in Eglinton Road, Woolwich, south-east London, where a teenage boy was stabbed to death on Sunday. Picture date: Monday September 23, 2024. -Credit:PA Wire/PA Images

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "The mayor's thoughts are with the family and friends of the teenage boy who has been killed in Woolwich, as well as the wider community. This heart-breaking violence has no place in our streets. The mayor is in close contact with police leaders and there will be increased patrols in the local area."

The boy's next of kin have been informed. No arrests have been made and a crime scene is in place. Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 5989/22Sep.