A 14-year-old has become the 27th teenager killed in London this year.

Police warned in February that the capital could see record-breaking numbers of teenage homicides in 2021.

The boy’s death in Croydon on Thursday takes the total so far to 27 – close to the record of 29 in the city in 2008.

In February, the Metropolitan Police’s lead on violent crime, Commander Alex Murray, said: “Part of talking to you is to say to people, put the knives down, get rid of them – just get rid of them.”

In the latest incident, officers were called to London Road just after 6.30pm on Thursday after receiving reports of a fight in the area close to West Croydon Railway Station, but they found no suspects or victims.

The 14-year-old later attended hospital for treatment to stab wounds, but he died a short time afterwards.

Superintendent Andy Brittain, of the force’s South Area Command Unit, described the boy’s death as “a tragic loss of another young life to knife crime”.

He said: “We have worked throughout the night with our colleagues from Specialist Crime to establish what happened yesterday evening, and this investigation remains ongoing.

“I would urge anyone who has information regarding a fight that was seen close to West Croydon Railway Station at about 6.45pm to please come forward and speak with us. We need to identify who was there and what led to a 14-year-old boy being killed.

“Tackling violence remains our top priority but we need your help. A family is grieving; any piece of information you have could be vital in giving them the answers that they so desperately need.”

The boy’s family have been informed and they are being supported by specialist officers, the Met added.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101, quoting the reference CAD 6179/18Nov, tweet @MetCC, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.