Man charged with murder after stabbings at market

Blue and white police cordons block off a street market with empty stalls and crates, rubbish and brightly coloured striped awnings visible in the background. Two uniformed police officers stand behind the cordon
The stabbings happened on East Street on Sunday morning [BBC]

A man in his 60s has been charged with murder after a man was killed and two others were injured in a stabbing attack at a market in south London.

Police were called to reports of a number of people stabbed in East Street in Walworth at about 10:40 GMT on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police said officers found three people with serious injuries and one of them, Hilkiah McLeggan, 77, from Southwark, died at the scene. Two other men were taken to hospital and both remain there, with one of them in a critical condition.

Ali Musse, 66, of no fixed address, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder and is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Mr McLeggan's family are aware of his death and are receiving support from specialist officers, the Met said.

A close-up view of police tape across East Street, with buildings on either side of the road and market rubbish to both sides of the street
There will be an increased police presence in the area to provide reassurance, the Met says [BBC]

Ch Supt Seb Adjei-Addoh, who leads the Met's policing in Southwark, described what happened as "horrific", and thanked members of the public who helped officers at the scene.

"There will be an increased policing presence in the Walworth area as we work alongside our partners to provide reassurance to local people and small businesses operating in East Street," he added.

“Lastly, we are aware of posts circulating on social media, implying that this was a terrorist incident. Our inquiries indicate this is not the case and we ask the public not to speculate.”

The force urged anyone with information to call 101, or to contact CrimeStoppers anonymously.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Related links