A "sweet and caring" teenager was stabbed to death with a machete in a row outside a chicken shop, witnesses claim.

The 15-year-old, named locally as Jai Sewell, stumbled into the shop in Randlesdown Road and collapsed with his "stomach hanging open".

He was rushed to hospital at 5.30pm on Thursday (November 1) - with doctors desperately battling to save his life after the stabbing in Bellingham.

READ MORE - Bellingham community react to murder of teenager Jai Sewell

After five hours of treatment, Jai passed away - it was said that he had been stabbed "in his lungs and stomach".

According to a business owner, the incident took place outside Morley's chicken shop. 

Witness Thomas Coffie, 23, said: "I was just on my way home from work and I stopped to get something to eat from the chicken shop.

"I heard a bang behind me and turned around and saw him run into the shop. I knew he had been stabbed because of all the blood on his jacket.

"The boy said to me, 'man is going to die'.

"He fell on the floor, I couldn't stop him falling - I tried to put some pressure on the wounds just to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived.

"I was just holding him, I couldn't see because of all the blood.

"Staff grabbed paper tissues and tried to mop up the blood from his body, but there was just too much.

"He had been cut in his stomach and his chest, his lung and stomach was hanging out of him.

"I didn't know what to do, I couldn't stay there - I do not feel safe here anymore."

Another witness said: "There was a lot of shouting, there was some sort of row going on.

"Then the boy was on the floor and people were all crying.

"It was busy, there were a lot of people."

A police cordon remains in place around the row of shops where the teenager was attacked.

Friends came to leave tributes to Jai - leaving bouquets of flowers at the scene.

The tribute read: "RIP baby boy, I am so sorry this happened sleep tight."

A former classmate of Jai and his mother stood at the crime scene.

The young boy said: "Jai was popular, but for the right reasons he was always talkative and very respectful.

"He was really into football and he played at school."

Jai was thought to have been a student at nearby Coniborough College - which refused to give a comment.

Horrified locals described the chaotic aftermath of the attack.

Deanne Wright, 36, lives in the area and often saw Jai with his grandmother.

She said: "He was very close with his nan - she raised him.

"I often saw him out and about or on the bus, he was a sweet and caring boy."

A woman who works in a nearby pharmacy said: "It was about 5pm and the streets were full of people, they were everywhere.

"I could see a lot of young people, and I could hear people screaming at the front.

"They were gathering outside Morley's chicken shop, there was blood everywhere.

"You sometimes hear of fights, but nothing like this people are saying they use a machete.

"They stopped him and he ran into the chicken shop for help - it is heartbreaking."

A man who lives opposite the crime scene said: "There is nothing for kids to do around here.

"This means that gangs of kids hang around on street corners, it can be quite intimidating.

"I've seen 30 or so of them hanging out outside Morley's, recently there seems to be kids from outside the area.

"This is kids killing kids, it has to stop - their parents need to do more and check them before they leave the house."

The stabbing is thought to be the 119th murder in London this year.

A Met Police spokesman said: "Police are investigating after a teenager was fatally stabbed in south London.

"Police were called at approximately 5.22pm on Thursday, November 1, to reports of a stabbing on Randlesdown road, Bellingham SE6.

"Officers attended along with colleagues from the London Ambulance Service.

"A male, believed to be aged 15, was found with stab wounds - he was taken to a south London hospital.

"Sadly, despite the efforts of medical professionals he was pronounced dead at 8.15pm.

"Officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command have been informed and his next of kin are aware.

"At this early stage officers are working to establish the circumstances - no arrests have been made."

A crime scene remains in place, with the road cordoned off from Morley's up to the Parkview cafe. 

Feliz Geyik, 42, owner of the Parkview cafe, said: "It's so sad, another young man dying. 

"They've shut off most of the street, and told me I can't open my shutters for business.

"Things like this affect the whole community." 

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD 5890/1 Nov.