- On Monday, a 16-year-old boy named Harry Pittman was fatally stabbed during a New Year's Eve fireworks display on Primrose Hill in central London.
- The incident occurred just before midnight when Pittman became involved in a dispute.
- Another 16-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
A 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death on a hill overlooking central London as a crowd gathered to watch New Year's Eve fireworks, police said Monday.
Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan said Harry Pitman was involved in a fatal scuffle with friends in Primrose Hill just before midnight. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
“He was a young man with the rest of his life ahead of him,” Grogan said. “His family is understandably devastated.”
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Police said a boy of the same age was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of murder.
London, January 1, 2024 Police officers search for a finger in Primrose Hill, where a teenage boy was stabbed to death just before midnight on New Year's Eve. Harry Pitman, 16, was stabbed to death on a hill overlooking central London. Crowds gathered to watch New Year's Eve fireworks. (via Stéphane Rousseau/PA)
Detectives were appealing for information from witnesses among the hundreds of people gathered on the hill next to Regent's Park. It is surrounded by streets lined with wealthy homes and is also near several public housing towers.
Royal Parks noted on its website that the hill was historically the site of duels and prize competitions.
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The park, which normally closes at night, was scheduled to stay open until 1 a.m. Monday to watch the city's fireworks display along the River Thames, about three miles south.
Primrose Hill was closed on Monday as officers dispersed searching for evidence in the grass and forensics teams worked near the scene of the stabbing.
