BRITAIN:A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in a London street in the latest teenage killing to hit the city, police said yesterday.
Police said Adam Regis, Plaistow, east London, collapsed on the pavement before horrified passers-by near West Ham's football stadium on Saturday evening.
The black teenager had blood pouring from a wound in his leg and died later in hospital. Police said they were looking for two youths seen near the scene.
Det Chief Insp Ian Stevenson told reporters that his thoughts were with the boy's family.
"I cannot imagine what they are going through. It's a very sad day."
Witnesses saw two young black men running away after the boy was stabbed, Mr Stevenson added. One local woman said she rang 999 after she found the teenager lying in the street.
"I saw a young boy lying on the floor and a dark patch which I thought was blood," Sandra Wynands told TV reporters. "I asked these two boys what's wrong and they stated: 'I think he's drunk or something and he's just fell over'."
Mr Stevenson refused to discuss the wider issues of gang culture and a spate of teenage killings in the capital in recent months.
The murder came just days after 16-year-old Kodjo Yenga was stabbed to death in west London. Four teenagers appeared in court on Saturday charged with his murder.
Kodjo's mother described him as a hard-working, polite and popular boy who had no involvement with teenage gangs.
"I will miss him forever," Ladjua Lesele said. "My boy was very mature for his age, polite and very neat with his character," she added.
"My son was a good Christian and . . . my life with my boy was fantastic. We loved each other. We were really inseparable. I will miss him all my life."
Three men were stabbed to death in separate incidents in the Manchester area on Saturday.
Last month, three teenagers were shot dead in separate incidents in south London, sparking intense political debate about violent crime and gang culture.
Billy Cox (15) was shot dead at his home in Clapham. Schoolboy Michael Dosunmu (15) was shot in his bedroom in nearby Peckham days after James Smartt-Ford (16) was gunned down at Streatham ice rink.