Three charged with Downham stab murder

Police have charged two men and a youth with the murder of a 16-year-old boy stabbed to death just days after his birthday.

Scotland Yard said today Felix Conel, 18, of Middlesex, Jeffrey Otete, 18, of Deptford, and a 16-year-old boy, also from Deptford, would appear at Bromley Magistrates Court today.

The victim, named locally as Nathaniel Brown, was murdered at a house party in Downham, south-east London, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the house in Launcelot Road at 4am but the victim was pronounced dead just over an hour later.

His distraught relatives were too upset to talk about their loss, but friends paid tribute to the boy nicknamed "Natz", who turned 16 earlier this week, on Twitter.

"RIP Nathaniel Brown," said one.

"May your soul rest in peace."

Another said: "RIP Nathaniel Brown, your (sic) in a better place."

Formal identification of the victim has yet to take place and police are still awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

PA