London stabbing: Teenager chased down and killed in Elephant and Castle

Knife crime at record level in England and Wales

The teenager was chased into Tiverton Street and stabbed on 5 May (Google Streetview)

A teenager has been chased down and stabbed to death in south London.

The 18-year-old man died in hospital on Sunday night, little over an hour after being attacked near Elephant and Castle station in Southwark.

Def Ch Insp Richard Leonard appealed for any witnesses to the attack at around 9.30pm to come forward.

“The victim was seen being chased by another male wearing a grey or blue hoody from Newington Gardens into Tiverton Street, where he was attacked and shortly after found by police and London Air Ambulance,” he said.

“Your information could prove vital to solving this case and I would urge you to get in touch.”

There have been no arrests and Metropolitan Police were receiving CCTV and conducting forensic analysis.

The killing was the 28th fatal stabbing in the capital so far this year, following the murder of 15-year-old Tashaûn Aird last week.

Poet Theresa Lola, the Young People's Laureate for London, tweeted: “Another stabbing in London, sigh, this time an 18-year-old in Southwark.

"Speechless, the victim was seen being chased by another man. When will the lives of young people be valued and prioritised in a time of clear crisis."

It came after a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murdering a "lovely, hardworking guy" who was knifed repeatedly in the leg in Manchester.

The "senseless act of violence" happened in Hinckley Street, Beswick, at around 2am on Sunday, Greater Manchester Police said.

Knife crime surged to a record high across England and Wales last year, with homicide figures also reaching the highest levels in a decade.

But Metropolitan Police figures showed murders and stabbings falling year-on-year in London.

Commissioner Cressida Dick credited a 30 per cent increase in controversial stop and searches with driving down violence, alongside other “massive enforcement” efforts.

“Stop and search doesn't account for all this reduction but I think it is producing a significant result we see every day, with taking weapons off the street and making arrests,” she told journalists.

“The vast majority of people do support us doing that and are asking for more activity, not less.”

Homicides decreased by a quarter in 2018-19 from the year before (32 fewer victims), while knife crime injuring under 25s was down by 15 per cent (311 fewer victims). Overall knife crime with injury fell by 10 per cent (455 fewer victims) and gun crime by 7 per cent (172 fewer victims).

The 2018-19 financial year saw 172,000 stop and searches carried out in London, including 9,500 “section 60” stops without suspicion.

Ms Dick said around 15 per cent of people stopped were arrested and that 27 per cent saw a “positive outcome” including weapons, drugs or illegal property seized.

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said the government must “take responsibility” for the bloodshed after years of funding cuts, which are starting to be reversed.

Anyone with information about the stabbing in Southwark is asked to call the police incident room on 0208 721 4622 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.