Heartbreak over Halloween killing

Ben Gardner was the best man at his friend's wedding weeks ago

The girlfriend of a man beaten to death by a gang on Halloween in a row over a witch's hat has said she is "completely devastated".

Ben Gardner, 30, died after being punched and kicked in Throwley Way, Sutton in south London, on Sunday.

He was attacked as he confronted the gang when one man took Allanna Devine's witch's hat and spat in it.

Miss Devine said: "It breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again."

Metropolitan Police, who are treating the death as murder, arrested a ninth person - a 20-year-old man - on Tuesday morning over the attack.

Of the eight arrested on Monday, two 20-year-old men, remain in police custody.

Two other men, aged 21 and 25, have been released on bail while four others were released with no further action.

Mr Gardner, a bank worker, was taken to hospital but died on Sunday evening from head injuries.

A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, best friend

Miss Devine said: "He was the most wonderful, caring and considerate man I'd ever met.

"It was a privilege to be his girlfriend and I loved him dearly.

"It's completely devastating that he was taken away from us and it breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again."

She was also punched and suffered minor injuries during the attack.

'Caring man'

Mr Gardner's best friend since the age of six, Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, said the victim was the best man at his wedding just a few weeks ago.

Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall, who is a cousin of TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, said: "The family, as you can imagine, they are not doing very well. A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated."

He added: "Ben was a wonderful, caring, happy man.

"I've known Ben pretty much all my life. We were like brothers in many ways.

"Ben was the first person to protect the people he cared about and that's all he was doing."

Police described the incident as a "violent unprovoked attack on an innocent man".