Man held over teenager stabbing

Nilanthan Murddi was stabbed in the throat

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a teenager in south London.

Nilanthan Murddi, 17, was stabbed in the throat during a fight in Sumner Road, Croydon, early on Saturday.

Police believe the attack may have been racially-motivated. The man was arrested at an address in Sydenham, south London.

Nilanthan, who is from the Tamil community, is the 23rd teenager to be violently killed in London this year.

Police said an allegation had been made that racist language was directed at the group Nilanthan was with in the early stages of the row, which took place at about 0100 BST.

Officers have described Nilanthan's attacker as a white man in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5ft 7in (1.69m) tall, with a pale complexion and who could live locally.

'Vitally important'

Nilanthan was with a group of friends in Sunbury Road when a taxi pulled up at the traffic lights.

The passenger was involved in an argument with the driver and exchanged words with Nilanthan and his friends before the car drove off.

Police said the suspect returned to the scene half-an-hour later and clashed with the group, during which the youth was stabbed.

Nilanthan died three hours later in hospital.

Police said it was "vitally important" for them to trace the taxi driver who had been seen with the suspect in his car before the murder.