Man, 24, stabbed to death and two others injured in large fight at Westfield Stratford shopping centre near Olympic site

• The 24-year-old victim, who is yet to be named, was knifed yesterday
• Scotland Yard said two other males suffered minor injuries during the attack, which happened in a busy area of the shopping centre called The Street
• Five men, aged between 20 and 23, have been arrested in connection with the death and are being held in custody
• Detectives have appealed for shoppers or anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward with information
  

By Suzannah Hills and Jill Reilly

Detectives were today questioning five suspects in connection with the murder of a man who was stabbed at a busy shopping centre just yards from the Olympic Park.
The 24-year-old victim, who is yet to be named, was knifed after a fight broke out between a large group of males at Westfield in Stratford, east London, yesterday afternoon.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Tragic: Forensic officers attends the scene at Westfield in Stratford, east London, after a man was stabbed to death

Injured: Scotland Yard said two other males suffered minor injuries during the attack, which happened in a busy area of the shopping centre called The Street

Scotland Yard said two other males suffered minor injuries during the attack, which happened in a busy area of the shopping centre called The Street.

Five men, aged between 20 and 23, have been arrested in connection with the death and are being held in custody.

 

Detectives have appealed for shoppers or anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward with information.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Andy Kelly said: 'We believe that shoppers at the centre may have filmed or photographed some part of the incident on their mobile phones.

Twitpic: A member of the public Tweeted this picture of the cordoned off area at Westfield Shopping Centre

Another shopper, @sloughbadboy, posted this picture of Westfield in Stratford closed off to the public

'We encourage them to come forward and share this potentially vital material with us.'

Police said a post-mortem examination on the victim, who is from Stratford, will be arranged. His next of kin have been informed.

A force spokesman said: 'Police were called at 4.24pm on Friday June 29 to reports of a fight involving a large group of males in The Street on the ground floor of Westfield, Stratford.

'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene. A man suffering stab wounds, believed aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

'We understand two other males suffered minor injuries.'

London Ambulance ‏service added: 'We were called just before 4.25pm to reports of a stabbing at Westfield in Stratford and sent two ambulance crews, a responder in a car, an officer and London's Air Ambulance to the scene.

Police said a post-mortem examination on the victim, who is from Stratford, will be arranged. His next of kin have been informed.

Shock: Members of the public took to Twitter to express their shock at what happened at the popular shopping centre, which only opened in September last year

'Sadly, despite extensive efforts to resuscitate him, the patient was pronounced dead at the scene.
'We were also called to Stratford underground station and sent two further ambulance crews and another responder in a car.
'Two male patients were treated at the scene, one of them for stab wounds and a second for minor injuries, and both have been taken to hospital.'
Members of the public took to Twitter to express their shock at what happened at the popular shopping centre, which only opened in September last year.

Popular: Westfield in Stratford City near the Olympic park in East London opened in September 2011

One user JennaRoseMoore posted a picture of the cordoned off area within the shopping centre and wrote: 'Somethin goin down in Westfield, Popo and cordens. Can't even get to Nandos without an interview!'
Another Twitter user, Sinner @KenishaParamore, wrote: 'Somebody got stabbed to death in Westfield -_- that's what happens when you bring good things to East London. #hatelondon #iwanttomove'.
Price Angelou ‏@NovelistPrice wrote: 'R.I.P to the young man who got stabbed to death today at Stratford Westfield. It's a sad world we live in.'
A spokesman from the shopping centre said: 'Westfield can confirm an incident occurred this afternoon at Westfield Stratford City.
'Westfield is working closely with the police and emergency services, however as this is a police matter we cannot provide any further details at this stage.'

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