Party stab victim named

A 16-year-old boy stabbed to death outside a birthday party was named tonight by police.

Wesley Sterling was killed in the incident near Croydon Sports Arena in south London early today.

It was initially thought the local teenager may not have been a guest at the party but Scotland Yard confirmed tonight that he was.

A 15-year-old boy arrested in connection with the investigation has been released on bail to return on a date in June, a spokesman said.

Officers were called to the venue in Albert Road, Croydon, shortly after midnight following reports of a disturbance outside.

A spokesman said: "On arrival they found a youth in a walkway near the club with serious chest wounds."

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination held at Croydon Mortuary gave the cause of death as a single stab wound to the chest.

The spokesman said that at about 11pm, there had been an incident at the same location.

"A group of six to eight males tried to gatecrash the same venue which was holding a 16th birthday celebration."

Detective Inspector Alison Hepworth, from Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "We know there were many guests at the party and would appeal to them to come forward with information on what happened."

Anyone with any information about the stabbing or the earlier incident was asked to call 020 8721 4005 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.