Sadiq Khan and Tooting MP attend knife victim Lewis Elwin's funeral

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36562025

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the newly elected Tooting MP have attended the funeral of a 20-year-old man who was stabbed to death near where they live.

Lewis Elwin, a trainee electrician, was stabbed in the chest in Tooting, south London, in front of parents picking up their children from school on 18 April.

Ahead of the church service, family and friends of Mr Elwin marched against knife and gang crime.

They carried anti-knife placards and wore T-shirts bearing his picture.

Mr Elwin's older brother Byron Douglas-Letts said: "We're tired of hearing about youth getting killed on our streets.

"We want to send out a clear message that we're not going to stand for this, there needs to be something done. There's enough talking, we need to take action."

He said it was not down to just one parent, the schools, or the government, but instead the community had to take action.

Mentorships needed to be set up and young people needed to be given something to do, such as a job they could be passionate about, he added.

"These kids are lacking self-esteem, they're lacking confidence, they need to be shown that they're worth something."

He added: "Lewis was very, very determined and aspirational. He was a loving, caring guy.

"Sometimes he made wrong decisions but that doesn't mean he should lose his life."

Family friend Nina Petrie said: "Young people please put down your guns, please put down your knives - life is for living.

"Gangs are not your family - gangs are prison and death."

Two 19-year-old men who were arrested on suspicion of murder have been bailed.

The Met has released a picture of a silver Peugeot with the registration KP03 ZTD and are urging any of the occupants to come forward.

It was in the same area when Mr Elwin was murdered and was later found abandoned and burnt out in Putney Park Lane.