man stabbed to death and three injured in knife ambush by masked thugs

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man was stabbed to death and three others injured in a terrifying knife ambush by masked thugs on a night of Halloween mayhem in London.

Witnesses said the man, 22, was walking with friends when four men wearing hoods and bandanas jumped out of a car and attacked them.

The victim suffered critical stab injuries, reportedly to his chest and neck, and collapsed in the street. Paramedics battled to save him but he was pronounced dead shortly after they arrived.

Two more men, aged 27 and 21, suffered serious injuries in the Croydon attack and were in hospital today. A fourth man, also believed injured in the frenzied assault and aged 22, walked into a south London hospital later.

In a separate Halloween attack, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed at a McDonald’s  restaurant in Ealing Broadway at 9.30pm. He was taken to hospital but his injuries were not said to be life-threatening.

Police were also targeted with fireworks by youths in Tottenham and an officer narrowly avoided being hit by a rocket. Footage from the dashboard camera of a car being driven by neighbourhood watch group Shomrim showed a firework fly past a running officer. The rocket then ricocheted and exploded next to a police car in Fladbury Road at around 9.40pm. Shomrim said police were responding to reports of youths throwing fireworks at passers-by.

Friends of the murder victim cradled him and desperately banged on doors asking for help in the moments after the stabbings. The attack in Gloucester Road was 300 yards from the Brit School which launched the careers of Adele and the late Amy Winehouse.

A witness, 18, who did not want to be named said: “Four guys pulled up in a car jumped out and attacked the group. They had hoodies pulled down and bandanas covering their faces. It seemed to be over really quickly and the others had no time to fight back.”

Kaschief Miller, 22, a friend of the victim, told how he tried to save his life.  He said: “He was silent, it was obvious he was dying. His brother came and he died in his arms.” Karl Stygal, another friend, had just left the park where he had been with the group minutes earlier.  Paying tribute to the victim, named locally as Scott, he said: “He was just a lovely guy. We all played football together and he was a really good player.”

Distraught relatives of the victim had to be held back by police. His mother stayed at the scene long into the night wailing “No, not my son” .