A teenager from Lewisham has appeared in court after allegedly being caught by police with a bag of 20 knives in his possession.

Denique Iswom Newell, of Mercator Road in Lewisham, has been charged with 20 counts of possession of a knife and appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Saturday, March 14.

The 18-year-old was arrested on Thursday, March 12, after police carrying out "proactive patrols" in Coldhabour Lane in Southwark stopped his car.

As police stopped them, Newel and the two other males inside fled the car.

But officers managed to arrest them all nearby, and found a discarded bag with 20 knives inside, including several zombie knives.

The other two males were released without further action, whilst Newell was arrested to appear in Magistrates Court.

He has now been remanded to appear at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday, April 8.

This comes after another teenager, this time in Woolwich, was fatally stabbed over the weekend.

The 18-year-old victim was found services in the Woolwich Common area, but despite the best efforts of passers-bys, police and paramedics, he died at the scene.

In a completely separate incident, a man was stabbed just four miles away on Friendly Street, Lewisham, just before midnight on Sunday.

The Met said that reducing knife crime on the streets of London was a "top priority."

In a statement, they said: "We are working tirelessly - day and night – to take weapons off the street, engage and reassure the public, and keep our communities safe.

"The public also play a huge role. We need to hear from anyone who has information about a crime, or about someone they suspect to be carrying a weapon.

"If you don’t want to speak to the police, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They are a totally independent charity and you remain 100 per cent anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or device you use. Alternatively, visit their website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

"Advice and support is also available through organisations including Knife Free: https://www.knifefree.co.uk/get-help-support/ and www.met.police.uk/stopknifecrime."