Cyclist stabbed to death

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4157628.stm


Cyclist killed in machete attack

A cyclist has been stabbed to death with an 18-inch knife near a busy
south London shopping centre.

The killer struck from behind as the man passed McDonald's, in Denmark
Hill, Camberwell, on Monday evening.

Police said there was no obvious reason for the attack as the victim,
39, had not been seen arguing with his killer.

Witnesses described seeing blood all over the floor. Residents are being
asked to check their gardens for the murder weapon, thought to be a machete.

Flowers have been laid at the scene, one reading: "I don't know who you
was, but you didn't deserve this. RIP."

'A lot of blood'

Huseyin Mentes, 23, was working in a shop near the scene and said the
first he knew of the attack was when he heard a woman scream.

"There was this guy on the floor. At first I thought he was having a fit
because he was shaking and I didn't see the blood," he said.

"Then someone said he had been stabbed and everyone started crowding
around. There was a lot of blood on the floor."

The suspect fled down Butterfly Walk and through a nearby shopping arcade.

A police spokesman said: "There does not appear to have been an argument
or altercation prior to the stabbing.

"We are looking for a large 12 to 18-inch bladed weapon, possibly a
machete, that we believe may have been concerned in the attack.

"It may have been abandoned in the area and we are asking local people
to check their gardens and if they come across anything that resembles
the weapon to alert police immediately."

The suspect has been described as a light-skinned black man, aged about
30, slim and wearing a yellow T-shirt, dirty jeans and a grey baseball cap.

The victim, who lived locally, has been formally identified in a
post-mortem examination at Greenwich mortuary but his name will not be
released until his next of kin have been informed.



--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon