Authorities in Richmond have pledged to renew their efforts to tackle knife crime in the borough after the fatal stabbing of Hazrat Wali in Twickenham on Tuesday (October 12).

18-year-old Hazrat was stabbed to death on Tuesday afternoon near the playing field of Richmond upon Thames College where he went to school.

Council authorities and Twickenham's MP both expressed their condolences to Hazrat's family and friends in the wake of the stabbing, and acknowledged the shocking nature of the incident as they sought to reassure residents that action was being taken to try and prevent something like this happening again in the area.

Twickenham MP Munira Wilson said in an open letter to residents that she had met with council leaders, RUTC college representatives and the police in recent days as authorities sought to manage their response.

She also express particular condolences to the family and school colleagues of Hazrat at RUTC:

"Following the fatal stabbing in Craneford Way playing fields on the afternoon of Tuesday 12 October, I would firstly like to extend my deepest condolences to all the family and friends of the victim. My thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic and shocking incident, in particular the staff, students and their parents at Richmond upon Thames College, where the victim was a student. I know many local residents are understandably extremely concerned regarding safety in the area and knife crime. This afternoon, I, together with the Leader of Richmond Council, Gareth Roberts, and St Margarets & North Twickenham councillor, Alex Ehmann, met with local police representatives and senior leadership from Richmond upon Thames College," Wilson wrote.

"The police have significantly stepped up patrols in the area and will continue to do so for the next few days. I have urged them to continue doing so beyond this week. The college’s security team are also patrolling the area more intensively. I will continue to work with the police, the local council, the college and local schools to tackle youth violence, knife crime and anti-social behaviour in our area. I will be reiterating my calls to the Mayor of London and the Home Office to boost local police numbers. Thankfully, the stabbing is a very rare occurrence in Twickenham, with the London Borough of Richmond being one of the safest boroughs in London," she added.

The Met Police said Thursday (October 14) they had arrested a 16-year-old on suspicion of murder. He is being held at a south London police station presently.

On the same day as the arrest was announced, Richmond Council Leader Gareth Roberts offered his own statement also expressing sympathies with those impacted by the stabbing.

"First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family and friends of this young man," he said. "While I can’t go into detail on the aspects of the case, I have full confidence in the police investigation and that his family will see justice. I understand that this incident has left many residents shaken, however it’s important to remember that this is a safe borough and incidents such as this are incredibly rare in Richmond upon Thames. This Council stands ready to work with all partners to do what we can to eliminate knife crime in this borough."