UK-Crime
A teenage boy has died after being stabbed by a gang of youths in south London, becoming the 18th victim of an upsurge in knife crimes in the British capital so far this year.

Shakilus Townsend, aged 16, was repeatedly stabbed by a gang of at least six hooded and masked youths after being chased through the streets in Thornton Heath on Thursday afternoon.

His killing comes four days after another 16-year-old, Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in Islington, north London, and two French students, Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, were found stabbed and burned in New Cross, south London.

Reports said that the latest victim was chased by a group of black males and a mixed race female, dressed in hooded tops with scarves and balaclavas, riding bicycles.

Police said Townsend was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition before he died from stab wounds. A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said a fast response car, an ambulance and the air ambulance had been sent to the scene.

On Sunday two French exchange students visiting London were stabbed 243 times, tied up, gagged and burnt in what was described as one of the most "frenzied, brutal and horrific" murders ever investigated.

Apart from Kinsella, other victims in the past week have included Tunisian national Hamouda Bessaad stabbed to death in south-east London and 28 year old Dee Willis, who died after a knife attack in nearby Peckham.

Last month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown responded to the spate of killings that have become rampant among teenagers, by urging prosecutors to take more 16 and 17-year-olds to court if they are caught carrying knives.