Two arrested after teenager is killed yards from police station

Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old in a London borough rocked by last week's riots.

Leroy James, 14, who died from a single stab wound, was left slumped against a wall in Ponders End Recreation Ground, near a police station in Enfield on Wednesday, as young children played nearby. Two boys, aged 14 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

Friends gathered yesterday to lay flowers at the scene.

His father, also named Leroy, 41, said he did not know why anyone would hurt his "quiet" son, who loved football and basketball.

"Leroy had no enemies that he spoke of to me," Mr James said. "I am just trying to keep sane."

The playground can be seen from Ponders End Police Station, no more than 100 yards away.

Kailey Austen, 14, the teenager's best friend, said: "He said he got a phone call from someone who said a boy was going to stab him but he thought it was a joke. He was walking through the park with friends and a boy walked up to him."

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode said: "There's certainly no evidence or any intelligence at this time that this is a gang-related murder."