Teenage girl, 17, stabbed to death in London park

A 17-YEAR-OLD girl was stabbed to death in an east London park on Friday night, Scotland Yard has said.

Police were called to reports of a knife attack in the Romford area by the ambulance service at 9.25pm.

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene near St Neot’s Road in Harold Hill just over an hour later. Her next of kin have been informed and detectives from the Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation.

Acting Detective Chief Superintendent John Ross of the East Area Command Unit said: “I want to express my deepest sympathies to this girl’s family and friends. Her death is a tragedy.

“I can reassure them and the whole community that we are doing everything possible to identify and bring to justice the person or persons responsible.”

No arrests have been made and the victim has not yet been formally identified. The death of the teenager means there have now been 18 homicides in London this year.

On Tuesday, Che Morrison, 20, described by his family as a “loving” young man, was stabbed to death outside Ilford station, also in east London. Police sealed off the park and forensic officers were at the scene.

Hairdresser Ellie Best, 17, said she and her family had moved to the area for the “good strong community” life in Harold Hill. A “shocked” Miss Best said: “No one should have to get a call to say that their child has been killed.

“It is becoming more and more like central London here. Children did not fight or anything and you did not hear of people being mugged.

“There has never been knife crime here before – it is just in the last six or seven months.

“I worry for the younger youths. Police need to talk to them about the dangers of carrying knives because the message is not getting through.”

Miss Best, who did not see what happened or know the victim, said: “I heard that local people in the area tried to help, but this really should not have happened.”

She said the park is used by local children to “just hang out”.

A small group of people cried and hugged each other after laying a bunch of flowers at the cordon with the message “we love you forever in our hearts.”

The park is known locally as Amy’s Park, with a playground in the centre. This has been the focus of forensics officers.

The park is in a residential area in the semi-rural outer London borough.