Teenager dies after latest London stabbing

A 16-year-old boy has died after being stabbed in a London street, the 18th teenager to be murdered in the capital this year, police said.

The victim, who has not been named, died in hospital overnight after the attack in Thornton Heath, south London, yesterday afternoon.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the teenager was stabbed during a fight. No more details were released. Police believe they know the victim's identity but will not release his name until all his family has been informed.

His killing follows a spate of murders of teenagers in the capital this year.

Another 16-year-old, Ben Kinsella, was stabbed to death in Islington, north London, last Sunday after a fight in a nightclub. Three teenagers were appearing in court yesterday charged with his murder.

His actress sister Brooke Kinsella, who appeared in "EastEnders", has appealed for young people to put an end to the violence that has plagued parts of the capital.

"My family are determined to fight in his memory to make the streets safer for our children," she said.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said he would do everything in his power to tackle the problem.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said he was shocked by the murders and had warned his children not to intervene if they see a fight in the street.

"We must all work as hard as we can together to reverse this dreadful trend," he told a news conference earlier this week.

On Wednesday, police said they had arrested 1,214 people in London during a six-week crackdown on knife crime.