Man sought after woman killed in random stabbing attack

Detectives investigating an apparently random fatal stabbing are urgently appealing for help in tracking down a suspect.

Scotland Yard has released a CCTV image of a man they need to identify in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old woman in east London last week.

Shadika Mohsin Patel died in hospital after being attacked in Altmore Avenue, near the junction with Barking Road, in East Ham at around 12.45am on Thursday.

A post-mortem examination revealed her cause of death was blood loss due to suffering multiple stab wounds.

Ms Patel’s next of kin have been informed.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime North are leading the murder investigation and are keeping an open mind as to any motive for the attack.

But a spokeswoman for the force confirmed the man in the CCTV image is being treated as a suspect and the attack appeared to be random in nature.

Police are not currently linking Ms Patel’s murder to any other investigation.

Members of the public are warned not to approach the man, but to call 999 immediately if he is seen.

Anyone with information on his identity and whereabouts is also asked to contact police.

Detective Inspector John Marriott, from Specialist Crime Command, said: “It is vitally important that we identify the man in the image as soon as possible.

“I would ask all members of the public to look at this image and see if they recognise him.

“As I have said previously, I still want to speak with anybody who may have known Ms Patel or seen her in the weeks before her murder.

“My colleagues and I are working tirelessly to identify and apprehend the person responsible for this despicable killing, and the support and assistance of the local community is invaluable to us.

“Please do keep sharing anything you know and thank you to everyone who has assisted us so far.”

He added that additional police patrols are being carried out in the East Ham area, with CCTV analysis, forensic investigations and door-to-door inquiries also continuing.

A 31-year-old man arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder has been released on bail, police said.

A 30-year-old man arrested in east London on Friday on suspicion of murder has been released under investigation.