Teenager stabbed to death in south London street fight

A 18-year-old was stabbed to death during a street brawl in London - the second teenage killing in three days.

Scotland Yard said officers were first called to “reports of armed youths in the street” in Lee, south-east London.

“Officers attended and a short while later two males, both believed to be aged 18, attended a south London hospital with stab injuries,” a spokesperson added. “The first male died in hospital. The second male was treated in hospital and has since been discharged. His injuries were not deemed to be life changing.”

Five people – three men and two women aged between 22 and 56 - have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

Detective chief inspector (DCI) Simon Harding called the murder “tragic” and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

“We have already spoken to a number of people as part of our initial enquiries, but we would like to hear from anyone who lives near the scene who saw anything that might assist our investigation to contact us,” he said.

The victim is the second teenager murdered in London in less than a week, following a fatal stabbing in Greenwich on Saturday night.

Aron Warren, who was also known locally as Aron Murray, was found collapsed in a block of flats and pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives are working to piece together the events leading up to the murder and have appealed for people who were in the area half an hour before Aron was found to come forward.

“I am particularly keen to speak to anyone who let someone into the building prior to the murder or who saw anyone fleeing the scene,” said DCI Larry Smith.

More than 120 people have been killed in London so far this year, amid calls for the government to tackle a nationwide rise in violence and record levels of knife crime.

The capital is on course for the highest number of killings in almost a decade and the total for 2018 surpassed the figure for the whole of 2017 in November.

Last month, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said stabbing figures had “plateaued and they are starting to come down”.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that violent crime, including terrorism, was her “number one priority”.

Ms Dick claimed stabbings were “levelling off” after a rise in the number of under-25s being attacked, but warned of “changes in society”.

She added: “Some young people are carrying a knife because they feel frightened of young people, and then when they are angry or feel threatened they use the knife.”

Police say London’s situation is not unique in England and Wales, and have warned of “Wild West” violence sweeping the country as children as young as nine are found carrying knives.

There are mounting calls for the government to reverse years of funding cuts that have driven the loss of 20,000 officers nationwide since 2010, and ministers will reveal the new annual funding settlement for policing later this week.

Anyone with information on the London murders is asked to call police or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.