Johnson plans 'immediate operational response' after Oxford Street stabbing murder » Local Government » 24dash.com

The murder of a man who was stabbed to death on Britain's most famous shopping street was not a targeted attack, Scotland Yard said today.

A spokesman said: "We do not believe that he was targeted. We do not believe that it is related to another crime."

Detectives are still keeping an "open mind" about the motive behind the murder of the 22-year-old black man, which means that gang-related violence at this stage can not be ruled out.

Horrified tourists and passers-by, including some who may have taken photographs, might have vital clues about the stabbing outside a McDonald's restaurant in London's bustling Oxford Street yesterday at around 4.45pm.

A knife was recovered at the scene and CCTV from the area has been seized.

A post-mortem is currently being carried out at Westminster Mortuary.

Police believe they know the victim's name, his next of kin have been informed, but a formal identification has yet to take place. He was not a security guard.

The victim left McDonald's with a group of black males and became involved in a row with another group of black males, Scotland Yard said.

This is when the knifeman struck and fled, it is believed.

Detectives are studying dozens of eyewitness accounts and CCTV images but photographs could be useful as it is not known how many men were involved in the row.

They are also working on getting descriptions of the suspects.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Bob Mahoney from the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "In particular I am appealing for anyone who was taking photographs yesterday afternoon in Oxford Street, for any reason, to contact us.

"We would be very keen to see these photographs as they could hold key information.

"This attack took place at a peak time in one of the busiest streets in London.

"We are very keen to speak to anyone who was in the Oxford Street area at the time of the incident who either witnessed this violent attack or who saw people running from the area."

The victim was taken to a London hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The killing came as new guidelines to magistrates suggested that some offenders caught carrying knives could be punished with a fine.

The range of sentences when someone is found with a bladed weapon - but it is not used to "threaten or cause fear" - should be a fine to 12 weeks' imprisonment, the Sentencing Guidelines Council said.

The starting point for each offence should be a high-level community order, it added.

If a weapon was used to threaten someone, the offender should be sent to the Crown court, indicating that a jail term is likely, the new guidelines showed.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "Everybody is shocked by the level of violence we are seeing, particularly towards young people in London."

He is planning to introduce scanners on public transport to cut the number of weapons reaching the streets.

He said: "We are meeting today with police about the immediate operational response.

"We are looking at the roll-out of the scanner programme making sure that the police can lift the guns and knives from the people in the street but also trying to get more police in the street to deter these individuals."

Councillor Daniel Astaire, of  Westminster City Council, described the incident as "exceptionally rare".

He noted: "Knife crime is a pan-London problem and has been acknowledged by the new mayor as a priority to tackle."