Birmingham stabbing: Man killed in Solihull knife attack named by friends

Third fatal stabbing in three days, as home secretary promises to give police new search powers

A 24-year-old man was who stabbed to death in Birmingham on Friday night has been named by friends as Leneto "Lenny" Kellengbeck.

The victim was fatally wounded from the attack in Smith’s Wood, part of the Solihull area, just after 11.15pm.

It was the third fatal stabbing in the space of three days following two deadly attacks in London: one near a mosque in Westminster on Thursday night, and another at Clapham Common the following day. No arrests have been made in any of the three incidents.

It comes as Metropolitan Police hunt for a man suspected of wounding four people in a series of random knife attacks in Edmonton, north London on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Scotland Yard have urged the public to “stay vigilant”, while Home Secretary Sajid Javid has promised to give police more stop and search powers in an effort to tackle the rising violence.

Friends of the latest victim of knife crime have paid tribute to the 24-year-old, leaving flowers and messages for “Len” and “Lenny” near the scene of the attack in Solihull.

One told The Birmingham Mail: “He was a lovely kid. He went to church every Sunday. He was a church goer and lived round here. He did boxing shows too, he was supposed to have a fight on Friday night.”

West Midlands Police said officers had been called to Arran Way to reports of a man being stabbed after 11.15pm on Friday. The victim was found at the scene with critical injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later.

Detective Inspector Michelle Allen said a murder investigation had been launched and appealed for witnesses or anyone with information.

“A man has sadly lost his life and we are working hard to establish the circumstances around what happened,” she said.

Metropolitan Police investigate 'random' stabbing attacks in Edmonton (Getty Images)

“The investigation is in its early stages, and we’re keen to hear from anyone who can help us piece together the circumstances leading up to the attack.

“If you were in Arran Way at the time, please contact us as you may have vital information about what happened.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via live chat at west-midlands.police.uk or call 101. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.