Man is arrested in hunt for 'racist' killer of teenage boy

Detectives hunting the killer of a teenager stabbed to death in a suspected race attack arrested a 30-year-old man today.

He was held in a raid on an address in Sydenham at 1.30am and is being questioned at a south London police station.

Nilanthan Murddi, 17, of New Addington, who came from the Tamil community, was knifed by a cab passenger who racially abused him shortly before the attack.

He was chatting with friends in Sumner-Road, Croydon, when a row broke out with the white man in the early hours of Saturday.

The victim's friends claim the cab drove off after the drunk man shouted racist abuse. He then returned on foot and slashed the teenager across the throat. Police said they were still anxious to speak to the minicab driver.

Officers believe the cab was a blue Ford Mondeo with a 54 or 55 number plate or an older-style VW Passat.