Three Sikh men stabbed to death in east London yesterday have been identified as builders from India who died after a drunken row over unpaid work turned violent.

Narinder Singh, 26, Harinder Kumar, 22, and Baljit Singh, 34, were stabbed to death and found covered in blood near Seven Kings station in Ilford at around 7.30pm on Sunday.

One was stabbed in the neck, shoulder and chest, while another was discovered having been smashed in the head with a hammer.

Witnesses heard one of the victims shouting: 'They killed me, help me!' as friends and relatives rushed to the devastating scene.

A local businessman said the men were knifed to death after a large group of Indian men spilled out of a nearby restaurant, screaming and shouting in a furious drunken argument between two groups.

He told MailOnline the men had been drinking whisky all afternoon and an argument had broken out over work in the area.

Speaking at the scene today, police said they believe the deaths were the result of a fight between two groups of Sikh men. Two men, aged 29 and 39, were today arrested on suspicion of murder.

Narinder Singh, 26, (centre left) Harinder Kumar, 22, (far left) and Baljit Singh, 34, (right) were stabbed to death and found slumped and covered in blood near Seven Kings station in Ilford at around 7.30pm on Sunday.

Narinder Singh and Harinder Kumar were stabbed to death and found in Ilford at around 7.30pm on Sunday

Narinder Singh, left, Harinder Kumar, right, were found covered in blood near Seven Kings station in Ilford at around 7.30pm on Sunday

Police officers in forensics suits search South Park near to the scene where three men were stabbed to death on Sunday evening

Blood was pictured still splattered on the pavement in Seven Kings this morning

A graphic shows where the horrific incident unfolded in Seven Kings, Ilford in east London

Today a nearby park was sealed off so investigators can scour for evidence.

More than a dozen forensics officers, with two dogs, were seen combing South Park, Ilford, following the horrific murders.

Victim Narinder Singh's brother Jasbal told the Evening Standard he rushed to the scene after being told his brother and his best friend Harinder Kumar had been attacked.

Speaking to the paper, he said: 'There was blood everywhere. I shouted 'Wake up, wake up' but it was no good. I had lost him. He was a great brother and a popular guy with no enemies. I am devastated.'

'I have lost not only my brother but a best friend I lived with. I don't know how this could have happened. We were so close, my heart is broken.'

Narinder Singh, pictured, was among the victims discovered in Seven Kings, east London

A forensic tent is seen in Salisbury Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, east London, today, where one of the victims is believed to have been found in a pool of blood

Police at the scene in east London this morning where three people died after being stabbed

A police officer at the scene in Elmstead Road, Seven Kings today following the murders

Forensic investigators are pictured scouring the junction of Salisbury and Elmstead Road today

Mr Kumar's cousin paid tribute to him in an emotional statement.

He told MailOnline: 'We've been calling relatives in India to tell them what happened. Harinder was a lovely, fun guy who was best friends with Narinder, who was also killed.

'They both worked as builders and had only been in the country for about three years. Sunday was Harinder' s one day off in the week. He knew all the other men that were there when he was killed. They all worked and socialised together.

'They'd been out drinking like they normally do on a Sunday. I've heard that they got into a row over money.

'Some of the family got a call on Sunday evening saying Harinder had been attacked.

'They rushed down there but couldn't get close as the police had sealed the area off. They were screaming and shouting his name but the police were holding them back. Its heartbreaking what we are all going through.'

Today a nearby park was sealed off so investigators can scour for evidence

More than a dozen forensics officers, with two dogs, were seen combing South Park, Ilford, following the horrific murders

Forensic investigators are pictured sifting through the contents of a drain near the scene

A police cordon is pictured in Seven Kings with a sniffer dog searching the murder scene for clues

Police are pictured going through bins for evidence after the triple murder in Seven Kings

The police cordon is pictured from the other end of the road in Seven Kings, Ilford today

Sukhjinder Banga, an electrician, said of the eldest victim Baljit Singh: 'He was well known around here and had been in Britain for quite a few years.

'I've done a few jobs with him in the past but didn't know him that well. I'm not sure what his full name was, he was just known as Bally Singh.

'Some of his family told me that he'd been killed with the other two, who I also knew a bit.

'They want to take his body back to India as his parents are still there. He worked as a builder and these blokes are always getting into fights over money, it's nothing new.'

Daljit Singh Palli, who is well known in the Ilford community, said Mr Singh, Mr Kumar and Mr Singh were among 10 men who spent Sunday afternoon drinking in a restaurant, which is located near the scene.

The attack took place outside his double-glazing business.

He said: 'The argument was all over money for unpaid work. That happens a lot around here because we have a lot of immigrants from India who work as builders.

'They started arguing inside the restaurant and were very drunk. They had been drinking whisky for several hours. The row was all over some of the group being angry at the others over the fact that they had not been paid for a job.

'The argument then continued as they came out of the restaurant. You could hear lots of screaming and shouting and then all hell broke loose with one of the men pulling out a knife and attacking the others.'

Local resident Jaskaran Sandhu added: 'It took about 20 minutes for the police to arrive and around 30 minutes for the ambulances.

'They stipped off the clothes of the men and tried to save them, which went on for a long time.'

Horrifying footage shared on social media showed one of the victims lying in a pool of blood at the foot of a staircase near Seven Kings train station.

The gruesome clip, which MailOnline has decided not to publish, shows a man not moving, with blood on the pavement and on the road.

Mayor Sadiq Khan (second left) visited the scene today where he met police officers, Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal (centre) and Ilford South MP Sam Tarry (second right)

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is pictured giving an emotional speech as Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal and another member of Ilford's Sikh community shut their eyes in prayer

Mayor Khan is pictured speaking to police in the area today

Former Tory MP and London Mayor candidate Rory Stewart also travelled to the crime scene to show his support

Police were scrambled to reports of the stabbing in Elmstead Road, Seven Kings at 7.38pm on Sunday.

A police forensics tent was erected in nearby Salisbury Road, where one of the victims was found at the foot of the stairs.

Scaffolder Louis O'Donoghoe was watching the snooker when he heard screaming and shouting outside his house in what he said sounded like a foreign language.

The 40-year old said: 'It was just chaos, absolute chaos. It was like something out of a movie. Horrific.

He saw the ambulance service working on one person, and then realised there were another two bodies, at which point he went outside to see what was going on.

'I could see it all, one (body) to the left, two at the bottom of the stairs.

'It was like a bad day in Bosnia. It was pretty horrific really. I've never seen anything like it to be honest. It's like something on a movie.'

He said his girlfriend was left 'distraught' by what happened and he had come home from work early to be with her.

A forensic investigator is pictured covered in protective clothing as teams search both Elmstead and Salisbury Road in Seven Kings the day after the murders

A police van at a cordon on Seven Kings High Road as the investigation continues this morning

Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman speaks to reporters at the scene today

Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal is pictured looking emotional at the scene today

The owner of Seven Kings Cars opposite the station said a man with blood on his hands had approached him asking for help after three people had been badly hurt.

Nadeem Rana said: 'I was shocked. He had blood on his hands and he said there were people in very poor condition.'

The man and a passenger who had been waiting for a taxi made off towards the scene to help, Mr Rana said. He said he was shocked to hear the men had died.

'It's shocking, a feeling of insecurity to be honest,' he said.

Local resident Lauren Marshall, 26, said she and other neighbours had gone out into Elmstead Road when they saw flashing police lights yesterday evening night.

The paralegal said: 'By the time I came out, the road was blocked and there were police everywhere. It was manic. Everyone was coming out of their houses.

'I've lived here my whole life and nothing like this has ever happened. It was a shock.'

A woman, who lives just yards from a tent covering one of the victim's bodies, said her family is so scared they want to move.

She claimed the area is known for 'open drug dealing' and 'drunks', adding: 'I was home already and I saw a group of guys standing out the street talking outside the house.

'One of them was talking in the group about what had happened. He was describing what it was and making actions, acting it out and I think it was a stabbing. Somebody was saying that there was a rivalry.

Horrifying footage shared on social media showed one of the victims of the stabbing lying in a pool of blood at the foot of a staircase near Seven Kings station in east London yesterday

Emergency services rushed to the Seven Kings area of Ilford after the attack last night

All the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, which is pictured yesterday evening

'It's shocking, but the thing is that a lot of people have complained about what's been going on.

'A lot of people have complained about the corner and how unsafe it is.

'When my daughter comes back from uni we have to pick her up from the station because of the drugs and the drunks. They just sell drugs openly.

'My daughter says she wants to move. We're doing up the house but she says we should just go somewhere else. The area has changed.'

Gulsham Modhu, 41, whose terraced home overlooks the scene, was 'surprised' to come home to find police on the scene and the street cordoned off.

He said: 'I'm shocked, three people have died. This is a residential area - it's scary.'

Another neighbour, who asked to be called Saad, said: 'It's scary but I'm not so scared for myself - I'm mainly scared for my children.'

Former professional boxer Wadi Camacho shared a short video of the aftermath of the incident, tweeting that one of the dead men was 'bleeding from his neck'.

In a follow up tweet, Mr Camacho said: 'Trust me they are gone. The (man's) eyes fully open not moving and bleeding from his neck. Bloody everywhere.'

He also implored his followers to be careful if they were in the area.

Former cruiserweight professional boxer Wadi Camacho shared horrifying video of the scene

Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman told reporters at the scene this morning: 'It was a coming together of two groups of men.

'Three men were fatally stabbed, and despite best efforts of paramedics at the scene, they were pronounced dead at the scene. So, a devastating incident.'

He added: 'There are two people in custody. We believe the parties are known to each other, the parties were in the Sikh community.

'We'll be doing a lot of work this morning to try and allay any further fears, work with the local community and just make sure that there is reassurance provided from us.

'It was a horrific scene for anyone to come across. My heart goes out to the families and those affected by it because it is unprecedented to have something like this.'

He added that the arrested men and the victims were all known to each other. Police are still investigating a motive but have ruled out terrorism.

During a visit to the scene, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan described what had happened as 'shocking, horrific and scary'.

Standing alongside Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman, he told reporters: 'We've seen over the last few years they (police) are under-resourced and overstretched, and they need our help to deal with the scourge of the increase in knife crime we've seen across our country, and London hasn't escaped that.'

Mr Khan met with local residents, some of whom complained of anti-social behaviour in the area including drug-dealing and called for more police on the streets.

Sukhbir Bassi, a member of the Singh Sabha Sikh temple, works with young people and told Mr Khan the city's east is 'not safe'.

'We appreciate you coming down but in Parliament they need to listen. east London is not safe. We need more police officers,' he said.

The leader of Redbridge Council Jas Athwal, who is a pillar of the local Sikh community, was also seen looking emotional as he joined the Mayor and other officials at the scene today.

He said in statement: 'The tragic deaths of three young men in Seven Kings last night is devastating and my thoughts are with their families who are going through unimaginable suffering right now.

'I have been in touch with the Mayor of London, the Borough Commander and Met Police throughout the night and this morning.

'I am confident that everything possible is being done by the relevant authorities at this time and will work to keep Redbridge residents updated throughout the day.

'At times like this we must come together as a community in Ilford South, both to grieve but also to question how this could have happened.

A police officer and his dog at the scene in Seven Kings after the triple stabbing yesterday

The London Ambulance Service said it had a report of a stabbing outside Seven Kings station

'How have we reached a point in London where people are dying on our streets almost daily.

'Many of us have already paid the price of lack of policing in the capital and enough is enough.

'We need more police on the street to tackle the horror of knife crime, to make us feel safe and to prevent criminal behavior.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said last night: 'We sent a number of resources including three ambulances, three medics in response cars, two critical care paramedics, two incident response officers and our hazardous areas response team (HART).

Stabbing on train bound for west London Police are appealing for witnesses after a stabbing on a train in West London. Transport officers and paramedics were called to Hounslow station at 6.40pm yesterday to a man in his 30s who had multiple stab injuries. He was taken to hospital and his condition was described as not life threatening. It is believed the stabbing happened on a train between Ashford in Surrey, and Hounslow, near Heathrow. A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Advertisement

'We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance. Sadly, despite the efforts of medics, three males were pronounced dead at the scene.'

Conservative London Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey said: 'This is an horrific act of violence and will have terrified a community.

'My thoughts are with the victims' families. Their pain will be indescribable. There is no question, the Mayor has lost control of our streets.

'Londoners are living in fear. People don't feel safe walking home from work, parents don't want to send their kids to school.

'We can't be the greatest city on earth if we aren't safe. We need a tough new approach and new leadership, urgently.'

Kam Rai, the deputy leader of Redbridge Council, added: 'Horrific, three men stabbed in Seven King/Goodmayes area.

'Knife crime is becoming all too common, we need a national strategy and more police resource now.'

Formal identification of the deceased has yet to take place. Post-mortem examinations have also yet to be arranged.

Kam Rai, the deputy leader of Redbridge Council, said on Twitter that the attack was 'horrific'

Last year 90 people were stabbed to death in London, one of the bloodiest years in the capital's recent history.

The killings came a little over 24 hours after a ten-year-old boy was stabbed in the throat outside his home in Leicester by a stranger.

A family member told how the boy's white T-shirt turned red as his mother desperately tried to stem the bleeding with her hands while a neighbour called 999.

The unnamed child remained in a stable condition in hospital yesterday. His relative said: 'We don't know the person who attacked him, or why it happened.

'He cut the left side of his throat. He was walking along the road and took a knife out. The boy started to run but he grabbed him and slit his throat. His mother held him by the neck to stop the bleeding.'

WHERE THE SIX MURDERS IN LONDON DURING 2020 HAVE BEEN COMMITTED # NAME AGE DATE INCIDENT TIME STREET LOCATION 1 William Algar 53 Jan 3 4.57pm Nowell Road Barnes 2 Takieddine Boudhane 30 Jan 3 6.50pm Charteris Road Finsbury Park 3 Krasimir Kartikov 60 Jan 13 8.50am Whitehorse Road Croydon 4 Unnamed man 20s/30s Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings 5 Unnamed man 20s/30s Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings 6 Unnamed man 20s/30s Jan 19 7.38pm Elmstead Road Seven Kings

The attacker, who struck at around 5pm on Saturday, was described as a 'heavy-set' Asian man of 5ft 10in and in his mid-twenties.

He was wearing a brown coat, and his victim said he smelled of alcohol. The child, from the Latimer district of Leicester, was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. His injuries are said to not be life-threatening.

Detective Inspector Tim Lindley, of Leicestershire Police, said: 'This was an act of violence against a child in the street with his mother. It happened in a residential area at a time when there would have been people about. We need to find who was responsible.'

The attack comes a week after a boy of 12 was shot in a drive-by attack in Sheffield.

He was wounded in the leg after reportedly being targeted by mistake during a feud between gangs. A 25-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder.