Boy, 16, stabbed to death in Hounslow 'was carer for his disabled mother'

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A teenage boy stabbed to death outside a house in West London has been named locally as Rishmeet Singh who cared for his disabled mother.

Friends of the 16-year-old told ITV News London he had never been involved in crime or violence.

Friend, Daljit Singh, said killings in the area "seemed like they were happening every week" as the number of teenagers murdered in the capital reached a ten year high.

The killing takes the number of confirmed teenage murders in the capital this year to 28.

In a statement the college Rishmeet went to said: "All of us at Uxbridge College are profoundly saddened to learn of the tragic loss, in such worrying circumstances, of this young man taking his first steps into adulthood.

"We would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and community, and it goes without saying that we will offer every support to those in college who knew him and may be impacted by this loss and any associated issues.

"Our sympathies lie with the family and our priority is the welfare of our students."

The attack came as the Met seized nearly 300 knives and arrested almost 1,000 people in a week-long crackdown on violent crime.

The Metropolitan Police said Operation Sceptre, described as an “intensification” of existing knife crime prevention efforts, saw officers conduct targeted patrols in violence hotspots and carry out increased weapons sweeps.

Superintendent Jim Corbett, who led Operation Sceptre for the Met, said: “Knife crime completely destroys victims, families and communities, which is why tackling it is our top priority.

“Officers will continue doing everything they can to target those intent on committing violent crime on our streets, to make London safer.

“Suppressing violence needs a holistic approach to deliver long-lasting solutions.

“We must all work together – the responsibility lies with us all to create safe communities.”

The Met said that year-to-date figures showed a 32% reduction in knife crime compared with 2019, as well as a 28% reduction in knife injury to victims under the age of 25.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor London, said: “If you look at the numbers of people arrested, the number of knives taken off our streets, it has been a success.

“Although fewer teenagers are being stabbed, the consequences are far more serious with too many teenagers losing their lives.

“Teenage homicides are going up and we know that crime has many complex causes – alienation, poverty, deprivation – and we know those things have been exacerbated during the pandemic. That’s why it’s so important that we don’t give up.”

He denied that knife crime was part of living in London.