Police investigate murder after 14-year-old boy is fatally stabbed on London bus in front of shocked passengers

A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on a London bus in Woolwich this afternoon, prompting police officers to launch a murder probe.

Emergency services were scrambled to a street in Woolwich after being called just before 2:30pm on Tuesday.

Pictures shared online show a number of police and ambulance vehicles at the scene surrounding a red double-decker bus.

The incident occurred on a Route 472 bus on Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.

The Met Police attended, along with London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.

Paramedics treated a 14-year-old boy at the scene, but he very sadly died shortly after their arrival.

Police cordons and road closures remain in place whilst emergency services carry out enquiries. 

No arrests have been made at this stage, with police launching a search for the suspect.

A 14-year-old boy has died after being fatally stabbed on a London bus in Woolwich

The incident comes just 24 hours after an 18-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in a critical condition in hospital just over a mile away.

The teenager, who attended sixth form in Woolwich, was stabbed in Prince Imperial Road outside a school at around 4:20pm on Monday.

There is currently no indication they are linked.

According to a spokesperson from the London Ambulance Service, they received a call at 2.29pm on 7 January regarding a stabbing incident at the junction of Woolwich Church Street and Church Hill, SE18.

The ambulance service dispatched several resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer, a paramedic from the tactical response unit, and London’s Air Ambulance.

‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.’

Local councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan shared on social media her sorrow over the tragic news of a 14-year-old boy being murdered in Woolwich. The Serious and Complex team’s detectives are currently conducting an investigation into the incident.

She added she and a fellow councillor would work to support the victim’s family. 

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been criticised for failing to to deal with London’s knife crime epidemic

Knife crime is on the rise in London, with 15,016 offences recorded in 2023/24, up from 12,786 the year before, a 17.4% rise.

It is the highest number of offences since 2019/2020, after which there was a significant drop during the Covid pandemic, followed by a steady annual increase.

According to the Crime in England and Wales 2024 report, around 30% of knife-enabled crime was recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Sadiq Khan, previously MP for Tooting in south London, became the Mayor of London in May 2016, followed by re-elections in 2021 and 2024.

As Mayor, he is responsible for policing, but during his time in City Hall, London has been dubbed the ‘knife crime capital’ and the Met Police has been forced into special measures.

Sir Sadiq was accused of ‘losing control’ on crime in the city, with a reported 38% increase in knife offences since he took office.

The Met Police has been approached for more information.

If anyone witnessed the incident or has any information which may help, they are urged to call police on 101 with ref 3795/07JAN25 or call Crimestoppers anonymously. 

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.