Triple stabbing in Edmonton (From Haringey Independent)

Triple stabbing in Edmonton

8:09am Monday 26th January 2009 in

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THREE men were stabbed last week after two eruptions of street violence believed to be related to the death of Louis Boduka one year ago.

Three men, aged 19, 21, and 23, were found with stab wounds near the railway underpass in Bridge Road, Edmonton, close to the junction with Galahad Road at 9pm on Friday. All three were taken to a north London hospital where the 19 and 21-year-olds are now said to be stable. The 23-year-old was discharged after being treated for minor injuries.

A police spokeswoman said no one else was at the scene and a hunt is on for the suspects who is believed to have fled in the direction of Galahad Road.

She said police are "open minded" regarding the circumstances, but the incident follows what residents have described as a mass chase between youths covering their faces with bandanas on Tuesday at about 4pm.

Last Wednesday was the anniversary of the death of Louis Boduka, an 18-year-old who was stabbed on Silver Street on January 21, 2008, by Kevin Lewis who lived nearby.

It is believed the violence began on Silver Street with random attacks on several young men who were from the area and is thought to be perpetrated by Dem Africans, a group with which Mr Boduka was known to associate.

One Edmonton mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "About 30 masked boys came running down Fore Street. They were everywhere running in this and that direction, some to the bus station and some to Balham Road.

"Some were wearing bandanas round their mouths, all different ones, and some had their hoods up. There weren't enough police - there were about 20 police in uniform chasing them and two cars parked at the bus station. It is very frightening, it is really too close to home."

The woman said she was concerned for the wellbeing of her 15-year-old son who had been threatened with a knife by some schoolboys she believed were from Wood Green. She said her son didn't go out much and wasn't part of any gang.

Last year, Haringey police reported feuds between N9 gangs and Tottenham gangs, saying there had been a series of tit for tat stabbings between a group calling themselves the Northumberland Park Killers from Tottenham and an N9 group called the Shankstarz.

Our source said: "I think the fact they came into the area is that Haringey police are really cracking down on them. There were a lot of complaints about these boys last year when people were being robbed and mugged and fights were breaking out in Wood Green. Police had a mobile office stationed where they used to go and because of that they are moving into this area.

"I think this has been bubbling up since those murders last year. A lot of kids don't feel that the police are doing enough to protect them and they have to protect themselves."

The violence comes as Enfield Council and Enfield police are lobbying for more police on the streets. At a budget scrutiny meeting last Tuesday, the council said there were 100 more police officers in Haringey than in Enfield.

Councillor Matthew Laban, cabinet member for community safety, has said there are "real policing needs in the south and east of the borough".