Teenagers held over boy’s knife murder

Yesterday detectives said they were optimistic of making several more arrests as neighbours came forward to identify attackers who set upon the 15-year-old, later identified as Temidayo Ogunneye.

Among witnesses to the “horrible” attack was a nine-year-old girl who screamed in terror as she watched the stabbing.

A teacher at a nearby school in Camberwell had tried to step in to break up the violence.

Local resident Nimo Jama, 38, said her niece watched from her bedroom window as the boy was stabbed in broad daylight. A group of about 10 black teenage boys and four or five girls were gathered before the youngster was left “in a horrible state”.

Ms Jama said: “He wasn’t moving or blinking, his eyes were just wide open and he was barely breathing.”

She said the victim’s friend used a scarf to stop the blood and was screaming his name.

“There was blood everywhere. It was terrifying,” she added.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said a fight had broken out in the Camberwell street between two sets of rival gangs and the teacher from a nearby school stepped in to stop the fight escalating.

The boy was pronounced dead six hours after he was taken to hospital from Cormont Road.

He was the fifth teenager to be stabbed to death in the city this year.

Yesterday police were still trying to establish a motive for the attack.

Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, of Scotland Yard’s homicide and serious crime command, said there had been “quite a disturbance” in the wake of the attack.

“A large number of youths were hanging around the area,” he said. “Three teenagers were arrested last night and they are being held in custody at a local police station.

Temidayo Ogunneye lived with his family in Peckham.