Neighbours have described desperate attempts to save a fatally wounded man as he lay dying on a grass verge beside a road last night.

A 40-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, said: "I looked out at about 10.15pm and he was lying there on the ground. The police were pumping at his heart.

"Then they put a red blanket over him and carried on pumping.

"It looked like the man died at about 11.15pm."

The 52-year-old man was stabbed to death in South Croydon last night.

Police arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of murder at the scene of the attack in Selsdon Park Road, near the junction with Pixton Way.

Officers believe they know the identity of the 52-year-old, who was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts by paramedics to resuscitate him.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers were called to Selsdon Park Road at about 10.30pm on Thursday, April 24.

The woman who saw the desperate attempts to save the fatlly wounded man added: "There is not a lot around here so I guess he must have been heading to a house around here.

"It is shocking. It is literally on my doorstep. They have arrested someome so that is reassuring.

"It is not really a busy place, we never really get any disturbances. You never get people hanging around.

"You hear about gangs and youths and there are a lot of stabbings with them, but he was 52."
Another neighbour, aged 50, said: "I saw the man's body in the road.

"The paramedics were pumping at it.

"It was on the grass at first. They were going to move it to the ambulance but it looked they had to try to do some surgery, something life-saving.

"I think they performed surgery on the pelican crossing. There were three of them working on him but it must not have worked."

She added: "It is terrible, shocking, unbelievable. I have lived her for 20 years and I've seen a few car accident but nothing like this."

Police have cordoned off Bellfield, in the Forestdale estate.


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