UPDATE: Bakery murder victim named (From News Shopper)

UPDATE: Bakery murder victim named

1:15pm Saturday 10th May 2008

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A 16-YEAR-OLD boy was murdered in a bakers' shop in Lee this morning.

Police were called to reports of an assault at the Three Cooks shop at the junction of Burnt Ash Hill and Woodyates Road at 11.50am today (May 10).

The victim was a local boy, Jimmy Mizen - believed to have been a pupil at St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School in Foots Cray Road.

Jimmy suffered serious injuries to his neck and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have started a murder investigation and have informed the victim's next of kin.

Eyewitness accounts

A bystander outside the Three Cooks - who did not want to be named - told News Shopper that two youths were attacked by a third youth, carrying a baseball bat.

She said: "The two guys - who are local - were attacked with a baseball bat.

"They were attacked in the shop.

"It looked like glass was broken and broken glass cut someone across the neck.

"It looked like something out of a Tarantino movie."

She added :"I think it was an unprovoked attack."

Estate agent Paul Godfrey was one of the first people on the scene, after his colleague who witnessed the attack told him what had happened.

Mr Godfrey said: "A colleague had gone to the shop and found out what happened.

"He sprinted down to my office and we grabbed a first aid box and sprinted back."

He added: "I arrived after the attack and saw the aftermath.

"We went up with a first aid kit and called for an ambulance while the victim's brother tried to stem the flow of blood.

"He has a towel round his neck to stop the flow of blood but there was an awful amount of blood."

A shock to the local community

Businesses in the parade of shops next to the bakery shut for the afternoon as a mark of respect.

Mr Godfrey said: "It is a lovely area - houses are expensive and the people who live there are nice normal people.

"All the shops in the parade know each other and get on well and we were all shocked.

"We all shut up shop as a mark of respect."

He added: "From what I could find out they are a local family and he was a nice kid and it was a random attack.

"My immediate thoughts are with his family and friends.

"We hear about knife crime in London - particularly among young people - but that seems to be gang-related.

"But this seems to be an unprovoked and violent attack on someone who seemed to be a decent young man."

Police investigation

Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons said: "This is another tragic incident where a young victim has lost his life, and our sympathies are with his family and friends.

"At this early stage it is understood that Jimmy was working in the Three Cooks bakery when the suspect entered the premises.

"There was an argument between Jimmy and the suspect, following which Jimmy was assaulted and he sustained serious neck injuries.

"The suspect, described as a male youth, made of from the scene up Burnt Ash Hill towards Burnt Ash Lane.

"I would urge anyone who was in and around the Burnt Ash Hill area at the time of the incident to call us at our incident room with any information they may have."

• Anyone with information should call 020 8721 4205 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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