Jodie Chesney murder: Police charge 20-year-old Manuel Petrovic over London park stabbing

20-year-old to appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court over death of teenager

Jodie Chesney, 17, died after being stabbed in the back (Metropolitan Police)

A 20-year-old man has been charged with the murder of teenager Jodie Chesney, who was stabbed to death in a park in east London.

Manuel Petrovic, 20, was arrested in Leicester on Tuesday in connection with the incident, Scotland Yard said.

Jodie, 17, died on 1 March in Harold Hill, Romford, after being stabbed while sitting in a park with a group of friends.

Mr Petrovic, of Highfield Road, Romford, is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Another man who was arrested on suspicion of murder in London on Friday remains in custody, police said.

A post-mortem carried out on Sunday established that the cause of Jodie’s death was trauma and haemorrhage

Jodie was the fifth teenager to be stabbed to death in London so far this year.

Her family has backed calls for tougher sentences on knife crime in the wake of her death.

Yousef Makki, 17, was stabbed to death just a day after Jodie in Hale Barnes, near Altrincham, in Greater Manchester.

Two teenage boys, aged 17, were charged in connection with his murder on Tuesday.

Additional reporting by PA