Man stabbed to death as car crashes into high street lamp post

By Sarah Grealish

A 40-year-old man has been fatally stabbed on a busy high street in broad daylight.

Dozens of police were called to outside The Belle Vue pub, metres from Clapham Common Station, at 2.30pm today where they found the victim in the middle of the road.

The man was announced dead at the scene despite huge effort from ambulance crews.

An advanced trauma team landed in an air ambulance helicopter on Clapham Common.
A bystander said: “I heard a big crash and stepped out of the cafe. A car was crashed into a traffic light and there was people running to a man in the middle of the road. I was far away but it was clear he was seriously hurt.

“People were screaming. No one seemed to know what had actually happened. I thought he had been hit by the car. There were so many police and ambulances there so quickly. So many sirens.”

Police are still working to establish the circumstances and a crime scene is in place with multiple road and business closures.

A video posted on twitter 10 minutes after the incident showed people crying and a woman screaming: “Everyday there is a black child dying. What is going on in this country? Everyday our children are dying.”

So far this year there have been 22 fatal stabbing in London, with most of them South of the Thames. A 16-year-old boy, Malcolm Mide-Madariola, was stabbed to death outside Clapham South Tube station, the next stop heading south along the Northern Line, on November 2.

Lambeth council said: “We are saddened to hear of this fatal stabbing in Clapham this afternoon. Thoughts are with the victim’s family at this traumatic time. We will be working with Lambeth Police as the situation develops.”

Venn St. Records, Clapham Picturehouse and The Belle Vue have all confirmed they will remain closed for the day to allow police to carry out the necessary searches.

No-one had been arrested.

Witnesses and those with information are asked to call 101 ref CAD 4448/29Mar.