Arrest over stab murder of 15-year-old girl

Police arrested a male today in connection with the murder of a 15-year-old girl in a block of flats.

The teenager was found with a number of stab wounds in a lift at Matheson Lang House in Baylis Road, near Waterloo Station in London, this afternoon.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said a man aged 30 was arrested in the Lambeth area of the capital and is now being interviewed at a south London police station.

The girl is the 16th teenager to be killed in the capital so far this year.

In 2007 a total of 27 teenagers fell victim to gun and knife crime in London.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) was called to reports of an incident in the block of flats at about 3.45pm.

An LAS spokesman said: "We sent a fast response car, an ambulance, the air ambulance and an officer to the scene, the first of which arrived in under four minutes.

"Sadly, despite extensive efforts to resuscitate the patient, she was pronounced dead at the scene."

The ambulance service alerted police, who launched a murder inquiry.

The girl's family were being comforted by friends in Matheson Lang House.