Teenager murder: five held

Detectives are today questioning five men over the murder of teenager Ashley Hedger.

Two suspects were arrested at an address in the Forest Gate area at about 7pm yesterday. Earlier in the day another three suspects - aged 23, 26 and 18 - were held.

Ashley, 16, had been with four youths - two white and two black - in Plashet Road, Upton Park on Friday afternoon.

It is believed one of the other youths he was with tried to rob two Asian youths outside a fish and chip shop.

One escaped into a nearby mosque and later emerged with a larger group.

Police believe Ashley was then chased by a gang of Asian youths, who punched, kicked and repeatedly stabbed him in the head before leaving him for dead in the doorway to a grocer's shop near West Ham's football ground.

He was taken to Newham General Hospital but died two hours later. Ashley was white but police do not believe the murder was racially motivated.