A TEENAGER who celebrated his 16th birthday on Friday has been murdered during an incident in a bakery.
Jimmy Mizen was found with serious neck injuries at Three Cooks in Lee, south-east London, at around 11.50am. Paramedics and an air ambulance were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Al Patel, who works at Lee Pharmacy next door to the
bakery, said a teenage boy had become aggravated after being asked to leave the shop and had smashed the window with an A-board sign outside.
He said Mizen had then intervened in a bid to calm the situation down.
Patel said: "It's sad, it's a real tragedy. I really feel for the parents.
"You don't know what's going to happen. Knife crime is on the increase but what can you do? You can't wear a bulletproof vest everywhere."
A number of customers said they had seen the teenager running off.
Neighbour Catherine Busby, 87, who has known the family for 30 years, said: "He was a beautiful boy, they're a beautiful family. They're all in terrible shock.
"They are all very, very good to me. He was going to cut my grass tomorrow. I feel so sorry for his family, I'm very lucky to have been living next door to them.
"The youngest is about 10. He's a very bright boy but he was very quiet today. It will be very hard for him to take in that his brother's not coming back."
DCI Cliff Lyons said: "This is another tragic incident where a young victim has lost his life, and our sympathies are with his family and friends."
It is believed Jimmy was a pupil at St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive in Eltham, where his father Barry is vice-chairman of the governors.
The 16-year-old is the 13th teenager to be murdered in London this year.
The full article contains 320 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
