Police hunt killer of boy stabbed on London bus

Detectives hunting the killer of a 14-year-old boy stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich, south-east London say they are working "at pace" to find those responsible.

The teenager was pronounced dead shortly after being attacked as he travelled on a 472 double-decker bus on Woolwich Church Street at about 14:30 GMT on Tuesday.

No arrests have been made, and crime scene cordons and some road closures remain in place.

Following the attack, Metropolitan Police Ch Supt Louise Sargent described the crime as "horrendous" and said her thoughts were with those close to the victim.

Police, paramedics and the London Air Ambulance were called to the scene after the alert was raised by an officer on patrol.

Medics tried to treat the boy's injuries, but he died soon afterwards.

Addressing journalists following the attack, Supt Sargent, Deputy Commander for the area, said: "Our thoughts at this time are with the victim's family and friends. This is a horrendous crime, and I can't imagine what they must be going through right now.

"I know this will be a worrying time for everyone here in Woolwich, and all the more so given the very young age of the victim."

She added that there would be an increased police presence in the area following the crime.

On Tuesday, Mark Rodney, from anti-knife crime charity Project Lifeline, told reporters that he believed, just two weeks ago, the victim had laid flowers for another teenager who met a violent death.

Daejaun Campbell, 15, was stabbed to death in Eglinton Road, Woolwich, on 22 September last year, less than a mile-and-a-half away from Tuesday's stabbing.

He was among 11 teenage boys who lost their lives to homicide in London in 2024.

In an unrelated attack, an 18-year-old man was stabbed on Monday afternoon in nearby Prince Imperial Road, Woolwich, and had to be admitted to hospital.

Reporting from the scene of the latest stabbing on Wednesday morning, BBC London journalist Gem O'Reilly described the atmosphere in the area as "tense", as locals struggled to circumvent police cordons to get to work and take children to school.

One local mother, Kate, who also works nearby, told the BBC she believed violent crimes like these seemed to be becoming "more and more common" in the area.

"It's a bit daunting. I have a child, and I'm a bit afraid of walking up and down this road and even in this area in general; it's becoming a bit dangerous," she said.

"It's so scary, and now these things are happening in broad daylight. It's not nice."

Mother-of-two Abigail, who lives less than a five-minute walk from the spot the boy was attacked, told the BBC that she and other local parents had recently been discussing how to keep their children safe while also alerting them to danger.

"Now is the time for this community to come together to protect our children," she said.

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