Family 'in shock' after Sydenham teenager's death

The father of a 16-year-old boy murdered by a mob of teenagers said his family were in deep shock today.

Nick Pearton was stabbed and beaten as he tried to escape up to 10 attackers in Sydenham, south east London.

Witnesses said a gang of boys armed with knives, baseball bats and sticks chased him across a park.

The heavily bleeding victim then staggered into a fast food shop on the opposite side of a busy road calling for help.

His mother, Kim, who lives a short distance away, was alerted by his younger brother and ran to the shop and tried to comfort him.

Speaking at the family home today, the boy's father Vince said his family were too shocked to talk about what had happened.

Fighting back tears, he said: "There's nothing I can say, we can't take it in."

One neighbour who had been comforting the Peartons described them as "totally shell-shocked".

She said: "It's been a terrible shock. We are a really tight-knit community. We all know each other.

"It is just what it has come to these days. No one can believe what has happened."

The attack took place at about 6.15pm last night in Home Park Recreation Ground, off Sydenham Road.

One witness said Nick cycled to the park to face members of a rival gang after another confrontation earlier in the week.

The 16-year-old boy said: "There was a fight over something silly. Nick was lying on the floor of the chicken shop bleeding.

"His mum came out screaming 'my baby boy, my son'. I didn't see him get stabbed, just on the floor.

"I don't really mix with all them lot around here because they are trouble, but I still talk to them now and then."

Police officers stood guard around a large cordon that covered most of the park and several streets today.

The front of MM Fried Chicken was covered with a blue tarpaulin as forensic officers in white suits examined the building.

Larkbere Road, which is adjacent to the shop, was sealed off to traffic with blue and white police tape.

Police are believed to have recovered several weapons from bushes on the edge of the park and blood stains could be seen on the pavement.

Yellow plastic markers used by police photographers dotted the park, an area with several benches and the pavement outside the shop.

One officer said: "It looks like they chased him around the park, it is an extensive crime scene."

A woman said she saw a confrontation between a large group of young people from her window.

She said: "He was chased across the park by more than 10 of them. They were carrying knives, bats and sticks.

"I saw one of them pick up a tree stump and throw it at him.

"They were just chasing him, they were out of control. They ran across the road, they did not care for the traffic.

"I saw him go down. A couple of minutes later a woman came. It must have been his mum. She was screaming 'my son, my son'."

Another witness said: "I saw a group of black kids chasing one boy. There had been a disturbance. It is young kids taking lives over nothing."

Two bouquets of flowers had been left at the scene of the attack this morning. One card said: "Sleep well angel."

Chris Phillips, Tory candidate for West Lewisham and Penge, was canvassing in the street a short distance from the murder scene.

He said: "This incident in itself is absolutely dreadful. I am shocked but I am afraid it is not the first of its kind we have seen in this constituency. I am afraid we have too many of them."

Mr Phillips said there was an urgent need for activities for young people to "rebuild hope" and take them out of gang culture.

He added that criminals caught carrying knives should also face mandatory prison sentences.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said several teenagers have been arrested but declined to provide details.

Officers from the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command are responsible for the murder inquiry.

London Ambulance Service said the victim suffered a heart attack and died shortly after arriving at hospital.

Ten teenagers have been murdered in London this year. Last year 14 youngsters died. Nick was the seventh to die in a six-week spate of teen murders.