Murder investigation launched after man stabbed to death in east London
Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was stabbed to death overnight in east London.
Emergency services were called at around 1:30am on Saturday to reports that a man had suffered stab injuries in Rothwell Gardens, Dagenham.
The victim, 23, was treated by paramedics but was confirmed dead at the scene.
Metropolitan police officers believe they know the identity of the man and urgent enquiries are ongoing to inform his family.
Officers’ initial investigations led them to a second man who had also suffered stab injuries on nearby Flamstead Road.
He was taken to hospital for treatment but later discharged and arrested in connection with the incident.
The Met’s investigation is led by detectives from Specialist Crime supported by local policing colleagues.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 621/20APR.
Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Figures published last month showed that knife crime offences recorded by the Met rose again last year but have not yet returned to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some 13,957 offences were recorded in the 12 months to September 2023, Home Office data showed.
This is up 22 per cent from 11,452 in the previous 12 months, but is 5 per cent lower than the 14,680 in the year to March 2020.
Of the 48,716 knife crime offences recorded in England and Wales in the year to September 2023, 29 per cent were by the Metropolitan Police, a higher proportion than any other force.
When looking at the number of offences per population, West Midlands Police had the highest rate, with 177 per 100,000 people, followed by Cleveland Police (159 per 100,000), then the Metropolitan Police (158 per 100,000) and South Yorkshire Police (117 per 100,000).
