Forest Gate teenager's killers condemned as 'cowards'

Sami Sidhom was found injured in Forest Gate at 22:50 and died shortly afterwards

Killers of a teenager stabbed to death near his east London home have been condemned as "cowards" by the victim's family.

Sami Sidhom, 18, was fatally attacked after getting off a bus on his way home from a West Ham game on 16 April.

Apparently also criticising police, his family said those "responsible for enforcing the banning of knives in our streets" must share responsibility.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

He has been taken to a London police station and remains in custody.

In a statement released by the Metropolitan Police, Mr Sidhom's family said: "How many more have to die this way before everyone cares?"

Mr Sidhom had been studying to become a lawyer "to bring fair play and justice to those who needed it", but "never had a chance to do any of that because he was stabbed in the back by cowards in the dark," his family said.

Flowers were left close to where the young man was attacked on Monday night. He is the third person this year to be knifed to death in the borough of Newham

The statement continued: "How many more communities like ours have to be terrorised by mindless stabbings?

"We've somehow ended up in a society where our brightest hopes are taken before they've even started.

"Nothing will bring Sami back, but we want his killers brought to justice."

• Two stabbed to death within 40 minutes

• 'Murders are becoming harder to solve'

• The names and faces of those killed in London

• The violent material shared online in the capital

In apparent reference to the police, they said: "It is shameful that a single knife is allowed on the street.

"There isn't a single fathomable reason why this is still tolerated, unchecked and unstopped."

One week after Sidhom's death detectives are returning to the crime scene to renew their appeal for information

His family thanked everyone who came to Mr Sidhom's aid and those who paid tributes, but called for an end to knife violence.

"We just cannot let a silent knife kill more young people outside their homes," it said adding that "it was justice itself that got stabbed in the back".

Met Police officers are due to return the crime scene later.

Det Ch Insp Mark Wrigley said that "while the motive for this horrific attack still remains unclear", officers were making progress with the investigation.