Teen attacked with knife in affluent area

Evening Standard/London

A teenager was slashed in the face in front of horrified shoppers in the high street of an affluent London suburb yesterday.

The 19-year-old victim staggered from the scene of the attack outside an upmarket bakery in Stanmore, north-west London, and collapsed in front of a florist Dawn Flowers.

Shop workers rushed to his aid, covering his wounds with towels to stem the flow of blood as paramedics raced to the scene at The Broadway at 5pm last night.

A teenage girl who had been with him was seen sobbing as the victim was carried into an ambulance and rushed to hospital. He was today in a stable condition after being treated for knife wounds to his face and arms.

Traffic was diverted as police cordoned off a 50m stretch of the street, lined with shops and cafes, as an investigation was launched.

Photographer Nicholas Hair said: “There was so much blood on the ground. There were towels and rags on the ground. It was an appalling scene, it does not make any sense. It’s usually such a nice area.”

A police spokesman said: “The victim sustained stab wounds to his face and arm. He was taken to a central London hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening.”

Police from Hendon are investigating. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information can contact police on 101.

A murder investigation has been launched after a man was stabbed to death in west London.

Police were called to Porotbello Road, Notting Hill, at around 23:50 Saturday night to reports that a man had been stabbed.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) also attended, but the man, in his fifties, died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course, and next of kin have not yet been informed, police said.

They believe they know the identity of the deceased, but are awaiting formal identification.

Officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are leading the investigation into the murder.

There has been no arrest at this early stage, police said.

An incident room has opened at Putney under detective chief inspector Nicola Wall.

This incident comes after Britain’s most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe expressed concern over the number of stabbings at last weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, which is Europe’s biggest street festival, saying some were centimetres from being murder.

Police have released CCTV images following a mass brawl during the Notting Hill Carnival.

Detectives are hoping to speak to a number of people in relation to disorder involving a large group of males at the event on Monday afternoon.

A 29-year-old man suffered a stab wound to the chest during the violence, and was taken to St Mary’s Hospital.

Seven men were arrested for violent disorder after the event, which occurred at approximately 15:50 near the Rampage Sound System on Colville Gardens.

Police have also released two images of individuals wanted in connection with two separate incidents on Monday, and one relating to a fight involving a large group in All Saints Road on Sunday.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Barnes, of the Public Order Crime Unit, said: “If you recognise any of the individuals in these images please get in touch with the police or Crimestoppers.

“The vast majority of people attended Carnival with the sole intention of enjoying themselves but there were people there who were intent of causing serious disorder and committing assaults on others. We are determined to identify all those responsible and bring them to justice.”

Earlier this week Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe issued a stark warning over stabbings that marred the west London carnival, saying that in many cases they were just “centimetres” from being a murder.

Two police officers were hurt and 252 people were arrested in violence at the two-day event. In one case, six men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man suffered a serious knife wound.

 “Each will be thoroughly investigated and we will do everything possible to ensure that those who brought trouble to carnival are placed before the courts.”