London teenager stabbed to death in Bellingham was 'sweet boy'

A 15-year-old described by neighbours as a "sweet boy" has been stabbed to death on the streets of London.

The victim, Jay Hughes, was taken to hospital with stab wounds following an incident in Randlesdown Road in Bellingham, southeast London, on Thursday evening.

Police were called to the scene at around 5.20pm.

The teenager was pronounced dead at 8.15pm.

The young teen wanted to become a cartoonist and loved riding his mountain bike, his aunt told the Evening Standard.

Rochelle, 32, told the paper her nephew was not involved in gangs, adding: "He said he was going out to get some food and he never came back."

She said: "He loved riding his mountain bike, was very bright and brilliant at art. He wanted to be a cartoonist.

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"He was basically a young boy who played out on his bike and met up with friends. It was a normal day it seemed, but he never came back - we are heartbroken."

Schoolchildren placed flowers and cards at the the edge of a cordon put up around the popular Morley's chicken shop and other businesses in the road.

Local Dionne Wright, 36, said she used to see the Jai on the bus every day and rushed to the chicken shop when she heard about the incident.

She said: "I saw him, he was on the floor, I saw him lying there."

Ms Wright said that the victim and his friends used to "congregate" around Morley's every day, but "something like this hasn't happened before".

She added: "I just know he was a sweet little boy."

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Another local woman said: "I don't know if he was involved in a gang but I live here and I never thought Bellingham was coming to this.

"It's getting rougher around here.

"I'm just upset because the first thing I thought was that it was my son. I was on my way to Morley's to get food for my kids, I thought it was my son but it wasn't."

No arrests have been made and officers are working to establish the circumstances of the death.

The victim's next of kin have been informed, and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.