Fatal stabbing at Brent Civic Centre in Wembley leaves young man dead

A young man was stabbed to death at Brent Council's headquarters in Wembley on Tuesday afternoon. No arrests have been made and police have imposed enhanced stop and search powers across the borough.

Murder probe launched after stabbing kills young man at Wembley council building

A murder investigation is under way after a young man was fatally stabbed at Brent Civic Centre in Wembley, north-west London, The Independent reports.

Emergency services were called to the building — the headquarters of Brent Council, which also houses a public library — at 2.25pm on Tuesday. The victim, believed to be a teenage boy or a man in his early 20s, was found with stab wounds and treated by paramedics at the scene. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

According to Brent Council leader Muhammad Butt, the attack was witnessed by staff, residents and visitors inside the building. "Today, Brent has been shaken by an appalling and deeply tragic incident at the civic centre, in which a person has lost their life," Butt said. "Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, their family and loved ones, as well as the staff, residents and visitors who witnessed what happened."

The civic centre was evacuated and remains closed until further notice. Butt urged the public to stay away from the area and warned against spreading unverified information online: "There is an active police investigation under way — please do not speculate or repeat any unverified claims online."

The Metropolitan Police said officers are "urgently" working to formally identify the victim and notify his next of kin. No arrests have yet been made.

Superintendent Chris Clarke, lead for emergency response policing in the area, described the attack as an "awful incident in which someone has tragically lost their life." He said an investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances and trace those responsible. "We recognise the concern this incident will cause within the local community and are committed to keeping residents informed as our inquiries progress," Clarke said.

In response to the stabbing, police have imposed a Section 60 order granting officers enhanced stop and search powers for people and vehicles. The order covers the Wembley Park, Barnhill, Tokyngton, Stonebridge, Roundwood, Dollis Hill, Willesden and Welsh Harp ward areas of Brent. Clarke said the additional powers were authorised "to help prevent further violence, support our investigation, and keep people safe," and confirmed there would be an increased police presence in the area in the coming hours.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed crews were called at 2.25pm and dispatched an ambulance crew, paramedics in fast response cars, an incident response officer and London's Air Ambulance. "Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a patient was pronounced dead at the scene," the spokesman said.

Butt praised council staff for showing "professionalism, compassion and calm" in what he called "the most difficult of circumstances," and said the council is working closely with the Metropolitan Police. A notice posted on the council's website advised the public to avoid visiting Brent Civic Centre and Wembley Library, and said updates would be shared as soon as possible.

Source: The Independent