Man stabbed to death on Oxford Street
Arrests made after death of man, believed to have been in late teens or early 20s, on busy shopping street in central London
A man has been stabbed to death at the height of the Boxing Day sales on Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping streets in central London, police have said.
Officers said the man, believed to be in his late teens or early 20s, was killed in broad daylight opposite Bond Street underground station.
Police were called to the incident at around 1.45pm and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. A number of arrests have been made.
The victim is believed to have been stabbed outside the Footlocker shop at the junction of Stratford place.
The stabbing caused chaos on the busy shopping street on the opening day of the post-Christmas sales after police cordoned off much of the area, causing many shops to close their doors. Hundreds of thousands of shoppers were in the area, with many stuck behind police cordons.
An employee at the nearby Disney Store said the shop had been forced to close, adding: "We are being quite badly affected we are unlikely to open again today." The cordon continued west along Oxford Street towards Selfridges.
A Metropolitan police spokesman said: "The victim was stabbed at the junction between Oxford Street and Stratford Place, close to Bond Street tube station, at about 13.45 GMT.
"He is thought to be in his late teens or early 20s, and died at the scene. A section of Oxford Street, close to the underground station, has been closed while investigations continue."
A spokeswoman for the New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers in the West End, declined to comment on the incident or the effect on retailers.
Traders in the West End had reported 15m trading in the first three hours of the Boxing Day sales.
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