Tributes have been paid to a man who was stabbed to death in Barking as he walked home after attending evening prayers at his mosque.
The victim, who has been named locally as 24-year-old Abrabhman Juma, was found with knife wounds in Crows Road at around 11.30pm last night.
Neighbours said they heard him being chased in Cowbridge Lane before he was stabbed.
He died at the scene.
Haroub Juma, Abrabhman’s uncle told the Post he was attacked as he made his way home.
He said: “He was a good boy. This isn’t how you should spend the first day of Ramadan.”
Others described Abrabhman as a quiet boy, who was a familiar face on the Harts Lane Estate, where he grew up.
A mother who lives on the estate said: “This is the road where we walk our children to school, and we’d always see him walking down here, driving in his car, or hanging out with his friends.
“He never seemed into trouble.”
Another neighbour added: “It used to be bad here with crime, about seven years ago.
“But in the past few years it’s been quieter, so now we see less police.”
A friend, who didn’t want to be named, went to Eastbury Community School with Abrabhman.
He said: “I lost a friend today. He was a good guy, he was young and ambitious.
“He was the class clown, always trying to make people laugh. He was really cheeky.”
Dame Margaret Hodge, Labour MP for Barking, tweeted: “Devastating news this morning in Barking that there has been yet another fatal stabbing. My deepest condolences to the young man’s family.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old man in Barking last night is devastating news and my thoughts are with his friends and family.
“I am in contact with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner about this appalling crime.
“The Met will do everything they can to bring the criminals responsible for this senseless death to justice. I have also been in touch with the local MP and local authority leaders.
“There is no honour in staying silent. To stop stabbings and violent crime, we must work together.”
Police cordons are in place around the scene and there have been no arrests.
Anyone with information or witnesses should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Did you know Abrabhman and would like to pay tribute?
Call the news team on 020 8477 3587.
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