Shopkeeper watched in horror

A shopkeeper told today how he watched in horror as 16-year-old Ashley Hedger was knifed to death in daylight by a gang of youths.

Ashley was chased and cornered in a shop doorway where he was punched and kicked before being repeatedly stabbed.

The incident happened outside a shop in east London run by Roshan Singh, who witnessed the full horror of the attack.

Mr Singh, 48, said: "A group of boys were beating this one poor lad. He was left lying on the floor half in the entrance way of my shop. He had been knifed in his temple and was covered in blood.

"I was shocked and nearly started crying when I saw what had happened. I was absolutely terrified - shaking with fear."

He added: "The gang were using their fists and repeatedly punching him, but they carried on attacking while he was lying on the floor.

"The fight was over in two or three minutes and then they gang ran off. I didn't see the knife. The boy was lying collapsed on the floor."

Ashley, a Barnado's boy, was regarded as affable and level-headed, and was not known for getting into trouble.

However, the incident that sparked his death on Friday was an all too familiar one to the detectives now investigating his murder - one teenager attempted to mug another boy.

The victim of this attempted mugging, which took place in Plashet Road, close to West Ham's ground in Upton Park, was an Asian boy. When threatened, he and his friend fled to the nearby Islamic Centre, where a prayer meeting was under way, to seek help.

The boy rounded up some friends at the centre and at around 1.30pm a group of about seven youths went out looking for the culprit. Unable to find the youth himself, they targeted Ashley instead, believing that he was a friend of the mugger.

Realising he was at risk, Ashley fled. The gang chased him and the pursuit lasted only a few moments before Ashley was grabbed, bundled into a shop doorway and repeatedly stabbed.

The knife believed to have been used in the killing was later recovered nearby.

It remains unclear whether Ashley really did know the boy whose attempted mugging started the incident. But he is not believed to have played any part in the threats to the Asian boy.

Flowers and cards left by friends have begun appearing outside Mr Singh's shop doorway.

Ashley's mother was said to be too distraught to speak, while his father, who lives abroad, is understood to flying back to Britain.

A Barnardo's spokeswoman said: "Our thoughts are with Ashley's family, friends and those who worked with him at the home".

Detective Superintendent Maureen Boyle, whose officers are conducting door-to-door enquiries in a bid to track down those responsible, said: "This happened in broad daylight on a main thoroughfare. It is important that anybody who saw anything comes forward. It is crucial that we find the person responsible for this dreadful crime".

Mr Singh's 18 year-old-son Raj, who called the police and an ambulance, had known Ashley for years.

He said: "He was a local lad who always seemed to be with friends and was very popular. I'm very surprised this happened to him because I'd never heard of him getting in trouble before."