TEENAGE slayings on the streets of London have hit a grim milestone in 2021 – with police recording the bloodiest year on record.

Tragically, 30 teenagers have been killed in the capital during a deadly 12 months for boys.

Two schoolboys have been stabbed to death in the past 24 hours, within half an hour of each other.

A 15-year-old boy was killed at around 7pm Ashburton Park in Croydon, South London.

Medics and police rushed to the scene, but were unable to save the teenager.

A 16-year-old boy was fatally injured in Hillingdon, Boris Johnson's constituency, less than half an hour later.

The youngster was pronounced dead on land in Philpotts Farm Open Space at 8.25pm.

It follows a year of devastation for families who have lost their sons.

The youngest to die was 14-year-old Jermaine Cools, who had been walking with a relative when he suffered stab wounds on November 18.

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He died in hospital after staggering into the path of a car and begging the driver to take him to A&E. 

His mum revealed that the last thing the tragic teen said to her was “I love you” before she left the house.

Shockingly, a boy almost his own age has been charged with murder. The 16-year-old was arrested on December 27.

Of the teenagers killed this year, the majority – 27 – were stabbed. Two were shot and one died in a suspicious house fire.

Figures show violence fell by more than a quarter during lockdown in London. However, the number of murders has increased.

Earlier this year the Met launched a “surge” of officers onto the streets in a bit to stop the rising tide of violence.

This morning, Commander Alex Murray spoke to the media from the scene of the stabbing in Croydon last night.

TEENS KILLED IN LONDON OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS

2021 – 30 victims

2020 – 17

2018 – 24

2019 – 25

2017 – 27

"My message today, other than speaking to the families and friends of those that London has lost, is to say you cannot carry knives in London," he said.

"This is what happens when knives are carried and we all have a role in relation to tackling knife crime."

Speaking directly to parents, Cdr Murray said: "If you have concerns, talk to your kids.

"Make sure they're not carrying knives, make sure they're not hanging around with kids carrying knives.

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"We don't know who has knives but we can find out and we can stop them hurting someone or being hurt."

And he said that as a dad of teens, he's been left devastated by the tragedies.

In a message to families, he said: "We can't imagine the pain that you are going through.

'UNBEARABLE PAIN'

"But you must know that we are absolutely committed to bringing those offenders to justice, but also tackling violence across the whole of London so that more mums and dads don't have to be in a position that they're in right now.

"I can't imagine the unbearable pain that they must be in right now."

Anas Mezenner was the first teen to be killed this year, after being attacked near Turnpike Lane station on January 19.

He had made an anti-knife crime video for a media studies course weeks before he died.

Less than a week later, Romario Opia, 15, was found stabbed in Islington, north London.

The deadliest month was March, when five youths died, followed by June and July, with four tragedies each.

In 2020 there were 17 young people murdered, 25 in 2019, 24 during 2018 in London and 27 in 2017.

Knife crime charities are calling again for more to be done after the bloody total continues to rise.

Others fear that postcode wars is raging between gangs are causing the teenage victims to be killed in bloody street battles.

Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust told the Sun: “We are heartbroken to see the number of teenagers killed.

"For us this is a damning statement about where we are on fighting knife crime.

“Thirteen years ago Ben went out with his friends and unfortunately never came home because of an unprovoked attack.

“Since then we have heard promise after promise about tackling knife crime, and here we are facing a similar or worse amount thirteen years later. It is absurd.

“We had concerns during the pandemic that a lot of young people had their support services, even schools, unavailable to them.

“They lost touch with a lot of activities, positive activities, during lockdown and we feared that the vacuum was filled by gangs exploiting social media and vulnerable young people – drawing them into criminality.

“I have no evidence to prove this is what happened, but what we are seeing now we cannot discount that the pandemic and children lives being disrupted were a contributing factor.”

The tragic toll of violence in London

• January 19: Anas Mezenner, 17, was found with stab wounds in West Green Road, Haringey, north London, shortly after 9pm. He was taken to hospital but died at 4.25am. The teenager had reportedly made an anti-knife crime video for a media studies course weeks before he died.
• January 25: Romario Opia, 15, was found stabbed in Holland Walk, Islington, north London, at around 5.30pm. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short while later.
• February 11: Hani Solomon, 18, from Wandsworth in south London, was killed during a fight between two groups of men shortly after 6.30pm in Ackmar Road, Fulham, west London. He was treated by police, paramedics and an air ambulance team but was pronounced dead at the scene less than an hour later.
• February 18: Drekwon Patterson, 16, from Wembley, north-west London, was stabbed in Preston Road, Brent, shortly after 11.30pm. He was taken to hospital but died the following morning.
• February 26: Ahmed Beker, 19, was stabbed in Paddington Green, west London, just after 9.10pm. He was treated by paramedics and an air ambulance team but died at the scene.
• March 3: Tai Jordan O'Donnell, 19, from Croydon, south London, was stabbed a number of times in the legs at a house in Alpha Road just after 12.10pm. He was pronounced dead within minutes of emergency crews arriving at the scene.
• March 6: Mazaza Owusu-Mensah, 18, died when he was stabbed in the chest during a fight in Edington Road, Abbey Wood, south-east London, at around 5.30pm.
• March 6: Ezra Okobia, 14, was fatally injured by fumes from a fire at his home in Russett Way, Lewisham, south-east London, shortly before 6am. He was taken to hospital but died four days later. His five-year-old brother Joseph Okobia and mother Victoria Amaning, 34, also died after inhaling fumes. Police believe Ms Amaning started the blaze.
• March 8: Nikolay Vandev, 19, was stabbed along with a second victim, aged 18, in Penshurst Road, Tottenham, north London, shortly before 2pm. Mr Vandev was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 18-year-old was taken to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening stab wounds.
• March 17: Hussain Chaudhry, 18, was stabbed in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, east London, at around 5.20pm. Police and an ambulance crew attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
• April 10: Levi Ernest-Morrison, 17, was stabbed in Sydenham Road, Sydenham, south-east London at around 7.20pm.
• April 23: Fares Maatou, 14, was stabbed in Barking Road, Newham, east London, just before 4pm. Emergency services tried to save him but he was pronounced dead just over half an hour later.
• April 26 Abubakkar "Junior" Jah, 18, was found in Coolfin Road, Newham, east London, at around 3.45pm having been shot and stabbed. He died at the scene.
• May 7: Daniel Laskos, 16, was stabbed in Church Road, Harold Wood, east London, just after 6.40pm, during a fight. Ambulance and air ambulance teams tried to save him but he died at the scene.
• June 8: Taylor Cox, 19, was shot in Hornsey Rise Gardens, Islington, north London, at around 4.25pm.
• June 10: Denardo Samuels-Brooks, 17, was stabbed in Prentis Road, Streatham, south London, at around 4.15pm. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
• June 11: Jalan Woods-Bell, 15, was stabbed in a fight at around 8.30am during the school run in Blyth Road, Hayes, west London.
• June 25: Tashawn Watt, 19, was stabbed in Miall Walk, Sydenham, south-east London, just after 9.30pm. He was treated by an ambulance crew but died at the scene.
• July 1: Camron Smith, 16, was stabbed in Bracken Avenue, Shrublands, Croydon, south London, at around 12.45am. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
• July 5: Tamim Ian Habimana, 15, was stabbed in Woolwich, south-east London.
• July 5: Keane Flynn-Harling, 16, from Lambeth, south London, was stabbed in Oval Place, south London, at around 11.45pm.
• July 9: Damarie Omare Roye, 16, was stabbed in Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, south London. He was taken to hospital but died two days later.
• August 1: Stelios Averkiou, 16, was stabbed at a skate park in Lordship Recreation Ground, Tottenham, north London, at around 2.15pm. He died nine days later.
• September 1: Alex Ajanaku, 18, was found in Beaumont Road, Leyton, east London, with shotgun wounds at around 1.30am. He was treated by police and paramedics but died at the scene.
• October 12: Hazrat Wali, 18, was stabbed to death in a playing field in Craneford Way, Twickenham.
• October 28: Kamran Khalid, 18, was stabbed to death in Harrow Road, Ilford.
• November 18: Jermaine Cools, 14, suffered stab wounds and died after a fight in London Road in Croydon. A murder investigation was launched after the incident.
• November 24: The Met was called to Raleigh Road in Southall at just after 9pm after reports of a stabbing following a fight involving a group of people. Officers attended and found 16-year-old Rishmeet Singh suffering stab wounds. He died at the scene a short time later.
• December 30: The Met was called to Ashburton Park in Croydon shortly after 7pm. Officers found a 15-year-old boy with stab wounds who died at the scene a short time later.
• December 30: The Met was called to Philpot's Farm Open Space in Yiewsley, Hillingdon, west London, and found a 16-year-old boy with a puncture wound. He was pronounced dead at 8.25pm and a murder investigation was launched, making him the 30th teenage homicide in London in 2021, surpassing the previous peak of 29 in 2008.

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