Camberwell stabbing: Woman killed five hours into new year becomes London’s first knife death of 2019

Homicides in capital hit 10-year high in 2018 after 134 people killed

Police in London have launched an investigation after a woman in her thirties was stabbed to death in Camberwell, south London.

Officers were called by the London Ambulance Service to a property on John Ruskin Street at 4.20am on Tuesday to a report of a stabbing.

Police arrived and found a woman, aged in her early thirties, with stab injuries. She was pronounced dead half-an-hour later.

A 34-year-old man was initially arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.

He has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody. Police said their enquiries are ongoing.

Formal identification is yet to take place and the victim's next of kin have not been informed.

The woman's death, just hours into the new year, will add to concerns about a spate of gun and knife attacks in London, which hit a 10-year high in 2018.

In August, a 23-year-old man was killed less than 100 metres from the scene of the latest stabbing.

Siddique Kamara, also known as drill rapper Incognito and SK, was found with stab wounds on nearby Warham Street.

Detectives from the homicide and major crime command are investigating the New Year's Day stabbing and anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference 2651/1Jan.