- By Anna O’Neill & Barry Caffrey
- BBC London
Updated 2 hours ago
Streams of police tape remain wrapped around a part of north-east London where a man rampaged through the streets killing 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin and seriously injuring four others – including two police officers – on Tuesday.
Surrounding the cordon in Hainault are large numbers of police officers, many wearing high-vis jackets, their numbers only increasing as vans arrive bringing more.
The area is calm, if sombre, and behind the tape the roads feel like they are almost in stasis.
In the distance are two London buses, which were driving through the area at the time of the attack and had to be abandoned. They have remained stationary ever since.
With forensic teams working on roads we cannot see from behind the tape, the only movement is that of residents who live within the taped-off zone. They leave or arrive occasionally, their names being checked off a list by police as they do.
‘Like a young Messi’
Cyan Thompson used to play football with Daniel Anjorin and other friends three times a week in the area.
“We’d have a great time. He was a great footballer,” the 19-year-old says.
“If I was to describe him as a footballer I would say he’s like a young [Lionel] Messi in his prime days.”
He says the main reason the group used to get together for a kickabout was because of the 14-year-old.
“I feel devastated that this has happened.”
Many of the residents here saw or heard the attack. Some knew Daniel and would often see him as he made his way to school.
“They’re a very nice family and you just can’t imagine what they’re going through now,” one resident, who asks not to be named, says.
‘Attacker was five feet away’
He says he had been due to start a new job on Tuesday and that his mother came into his room “to wake me up and wish me good luck”, but, as she was about to leave, “there was a loud shouting noise going on outside”.
“Police were on their way because you could hear the sirens coming and then the man started shouting about God and whether you believe in God and things like that before he ran around the back of my house,” he explains.
The witness says he then came out of his house to try to help the boy who was lying in the road but, as he stepped outside, he saw the attacker “literally was standing five feet from me on the left so… I went straight back inside”.
“It’s just awful, awful. It’s a complete tragedy,” he adds.
‘I want to keep my son in’
Joanne Treadway lives near to where the attack happened and says she still feels “scared” because “you think anyone could walk along the street and do something like that”.
“I’ve got a 15-year-old boy and to think you go out the door and that happens, and the little boy was only going to school. Now I want to keep my son in for safety – it’s absolutely terrible.”
She adds that the area has a close community where “everyone knows everyone”, which only increases the shock that the attack happened around here.
Donna, who only recently moved to Hainault, also considers the area to be “very safe”, but the attack has unnerved her.
“I feel very nervous walking along because you just don’t know who you’re walking past,” she says.
‘Trying to be brave’
She appreciates the number of police who have come to the area as “I do feel very safe with them around. I feel protected just seeing them there looking out for people”.
While she is still shocked about what happened, Donna says she is determined to carry on as usual.
“On a day like today I’m just trying to be brave,” she says.
“I’m going to walk to the bus stop and I’m going to get on the bus to carry on my day as normal.”
