Two boys aged 15 and 16 charged with south-east London murders as fourth teenager arrested

Two suspects remanded in youth custody after court appearance, as 16-year-old arrestee held at police station

Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged with the murders of two 16-year-olds just a mile apart in south-east London last Saturday, as a fourth teenager was arrested.

The two defendants appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on Friday and were remanded into youth custody ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Scotland Yard launched their murder inquiry after Karne Solanke was stabbed in Titmuss Avenue, Thameshead, on Saturday, and Charlie Bartolo was found with stab wounds in Sewell Road, Abbey Wood.

Despite the efforts of emergency workers, the boys were later pronounced dead. Detectives said the following day that they believed the two deaths were linked.

A 16-year-old was arrested later that day on suspicion of both murders, but was released on bail pending further enquiries and is due to return to a south London police station in February, the force said.

Both of the suspects charged with the murders were arrested on Tuesday. A fourth suspect, aged 18, was arrested on Friday morning on suspicion of the murders, and remains in custody, police said.

Earlier this week, Detective Superintendent Richard McDonagh, from the South East Command Unit which includes Greenwich, said: “Tackling violence is a priority for the Met.

“Days like today show why that work is so important, and why I must again ask all of London’s communities to work with us, and our partners, so that we are doing all that we can together to prevent such tragedies," he said.

The cases are being investigated by the Met's Specialist Crime Command.

Mr McDonagh, speaking at the scene of one of the incidents, said: “Homicide colleagues are investigating and are treating the two murders as linked.

“I can assure everybody affected by these murders that skilled detectives will work tirelessly to discover what happened and provide answers to the young victims and families.”

Local residents described the murders as proof that the area is not “safe” anymore.

Victor, 30, a football manager, said: “There is a lot of stuff going on on the street with the young kids – it’s due to the lack of youth centres. There is not really a place where kids say ‘this is a safe environment’.”

Additional reporting by agencies