Police appeal after man stabbed to death in south-east London

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/30/police-appeal-man-stabbed-to-death-plumstead-south-east-london

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Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was stabbed to death in south-east London on Thursday night. It was the 29th fatal stabbing in the capital so far this year.

The 23-year-old was taken to hospital by a friend whom he managed to call after being stabbed in the neck. But he died of his injuries later in the evening.

Detectives believe the man, who has not yet been named but whose relatives have been informed, was attacked in the Plumstead area of Greenwich, possibly near the train station.

Police said they were called to the hospital just after 8.30pm on Thursday and officers have designated it a crime scene while they examine the vehicle used to transport the victim. Scotland Yard said a postmortem would be scheduled in due course.

The 29 fatal stabbings in London in the first three months mean the average per month this year is significantly greater than in 2017, in which there were 80 deaths in total.

Nationally, official figures released in November suggested last year would be one of the worst for fatal stabbings of children and teenagers in England and Wales since 1977.

Instances of all types of knife crime recorded by police have been rising recently in England and Wales. In the 12 months to September 2017, they increased by 21%, according to quarterly figures released in January. There were 37,443 recorded knife offences in that period, according to the data.

However, people’s direct experience of crime overall fell – down by 10%, as measured by the latest Crime Survey of England and Wales.

On Friday, DCI Richard Leonard, of the Met’s homicide and major crime command, said the investigation was in its very early stages, adding: “We are still piecing together exactly where and how the victim was attacked.”

He appealed for witnesses, saying: “Were you in the Plumstead area last night? Did you witness a commotion or altercation, or see anything that seemed unusual, like a person or group of people running in the area? Any fragment of information is useful to our investigation and I would urge you to call police immediately.”

Officers asked anyone with information to contact them on 0208 721 4805, or by calling 101 and quoting the reference 7434/29 March. They said information could also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.