SHOPKEEPERS in a high street say they are “scared for their children” after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death on their doorstep.

The incident happened at around 11.30pm last night (Sunday May 7) in Walthamstow High Street.

The teenager was taken to hospital by ambulance suffering from a serious stab wound and was pronounced dead shortly after.

Nadia Malik who manages a fabric store in the high street said she feels so scared she is considering moving back to Norway where she lived 17 years ago.

The 38-year-old mother-of-three said: “I am very scared after what happened last night and this morning I texted my 17-year-old daughter telling her to stay safe.

“She went to the same secondary school as the boy who died. As a mum I’m very stressed about the whole situation.

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Police have cordoned off the carpark at Lidl in Mission Grove Road behind Walthamstow High Street.

“I think no child should be out that late. They should be at home and in bed for 9pm. I don’t even allow my kids to go to the shop next door at night.

“The street is closed off and nobody is coming out. Everybody is scared. I don’t even know why we opened the shop today.”

The victim is understood to be a former pupil at Kelmscott Secondary School in Markhouse Road in Walthamstow. The school has declined to comment.

Mrs Malik, whose sons are nine and 14, believes Walthamstow needs more facilities to keep young people off the streets.  

She said: “The police are not doing enough. They should be out on the streets more rather than driving around and the council should be spending more on community projects for young people rather than on Mini Holland.

“There needs to be more things for young people to do in the area because they are the future of Britain.

“We live in Walthamstow and my son has to travel to Leyton to play football.”

Police have cordoned off the Lidl carpark on Mission Grove Road and a section of the high street. No arrests have been made.

Pensioner Mrs Neale who has lived in Walthamstow all her life said she is not surprised by the murder.

The 77-year-old said: “He was a child but in this day and age a lot of teenagers are carrying knives so I’m not surprised although I should be. When I was young no one carried a knife.

“They say it is for safety but if none of them carried knives no one would get stabbed.

“I’m totally in favour of the police doing stop and search. I know people moan about it and get uptight but it’s the only way to stop these kinds of things.”

Roshida Begum who works in the high street added: “I was so scared this morning when I heard the news that I texted my husband to tell him to collect our 14-year-old son from school.

“Usually he would walk home or get the bus but I don’t feel comfortable with him doing it today.”