Teen stabbed to death by bike gang in tourist street
A-level student attacked by youths in Notting Hill
A BOY of 16 has been stabbed to death in a London shopping street popular with tourists.
Fola Orebiyi fled down Portobello Road after being attacked by a gang of eight youths, some riding bicycles.
He collapsed and died yards from the bookshop made famous by the Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts movie Notting Hill.
The gang had cornered him on a quiet estate near the Notting Hill Arts Club following an argument at around 8.30pm on Sunday. He was said to have been trying to protect a friend when he was stabbed.
Dozens of locals and tourists saw him running along Portobello Road with blood pouring from his neck. Shopkeepers said they had been traumatised by the incident in a normally peaceful road.
One witness said: ‘There were about eight teenagers, all very young and some on bikes, and they were all arguing.
‘The next thing I realised was that he had been stabbed. There was blood pouring out of his neck and he was trying to run away. He was in shock, he kept saying I can’t breathe. He fell down outside an antiques shop and got up and managed to walk a few yards before collapsing outside a cheese shop.
‘He couldn’t keep still, he was panicking and was just bleeding to death in front of us. There were pools of blood everywhere.’
A girl who is believed to have been his girlfriend tried to stem the flow of blood.
‘ By then he had stopped moving and was just lying there,’ added the witness, who declined to be named. ‘ Police officers arrived just before he took his last breath. He just died in front of us, he was gone and his girlfriend was just in shock.’
A teenager, who would not give his name, laid flowers at the scene yesterday, saying Fola was a lovely boy ‘who wouldn’t hurt a fly’.
He added: ‘ I know what happened – he was protecting a friend over a silly beef which turned violent.’
Fola, who was studying A-level maths at Chelsea Academy, had hoped to go to university.
His elder brother Ola paid tribute on Facebook last night, saying: ‘Never in my life could I imagine I’d be doing this.
‘ Never could I think I’d be imagining what your last moments were like.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, like a big brother should even though you were bigger.’
Friends said Fola had no gang connections. ‘He was so smart and into his studies. He always wanted to go to university and would even say he wanted to be prime minister,’ former classmate Ellie Dzile- Jorasz said.
‘He was very academic and everyone always felt like he would go far, it’s just such a shame. He was always making people laugh and was never into violence or anything.’
Metropolitan Police have launched a murder inquiry but have not yet made any arrests. ‘Police were called at approximately 8.45pm on Sunday to Portobello Road by London Ambulance Service to reports of a man being stabbed,’ said a spokesman.
‘Officers attended the scene and immediately implemented first aid and CPR to an injured male. London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance arrived shortly after. The victim – a 16year-old boy – was pronounced dead at the scene.’
A close school friend said he had rushed to where Fola lay dying after he got a text message about the stabbing.
Dion Morina, 17, said: ‘I thought it was a sick prank so me and my friends came down to Portobello Road. We saw him lying on the ground – I knew he was dead. It was horrible. We don’t understand what’s happened.
‘He was a sociable guy, he loved being with his friends. He loved football and definitely wanted to go to university. He got a girlfriend a few weeks ago. He would show me pictures.’
Dion studied with Fola at Holland Park School, which is known as the Eton of comprehensives.
‘He wanted to be prime minister’