Five victims have died in London, three in Birmingham, one in Greater Manchester and one in Sunderland

Ten teenagers have been killed in knife attacks in the first nine weeks of 2019, according to a list compiled by the Guardian from media coverage and police press alerts.

Half the victims were in London, three died in Birmingham in just 12 days, and the other casualties were in Greater Manchester and Sunderland. [See footnote]

On Monday, the Police Federation of England and Wales described Theresa May as “delusional” after she insisted there was no direct correlation between police numbers and the incidents of knife crime.

Others decry cuts to social spending, pointing out that these have led to a lack of youth centres and opportunities for young people.

Backlash as May rejects link between stabbings and police numbers Read more

Jaden Moodie, 14, Leyton, east London, 8 January

Moodie, 14, was stabbed in east London at the beginning of the year, becoming the youngest person to die in a street attack in the capital in more than year. The teenager was rammed by a car while riding a moped in Leyton. He was then repeatedly stabbed by three men in a frenzied attack. Ayoub Majdouline, 18, was charged with his murder.

The incident happened not far from his grandmother’s home in Waltham Forest. Moodie had previously lived in Nottingham and friends from his old school travelled down to London for this funeral. His grandmother, Angela, told the mourners: “As a grandmother, I can proudly say Jaden was a blessing. He has left behind the best memories and he will always be in our hearts.”

Nedim Bilgin, 17, Islington, north London, 29 January

Aged just 17, Bilgin was stabbed by at least two other teenagers just a few hundred yards from his home in Caledonian Road, Islington, north London. Attempts were made to save his life but he died at the scene at around 7pm. Five arrests were made, including two boys, aged 16 and 17, who were arrested near to the scene on suspicion of murder on the night. Later, three more men were arrested, aged 18, 18 and 22, and have since been released on bail. Speaking after his death, Bilgin’s father, Nusret, said: “He was a wonderful boy; we are devastated. He went out on his bike and never came home.” He said his “baby boy” had been led astray by “bad friends”.

Sidali Mohamed, 16, Highgate, Birmingham, 13 February

Students at Joseph Chamberlain sixth-form college in Birmingham were streaming out at the end of a Wednesday afternoon when one of the pupils, Sidali Mohamed, was stabbed. “We believe there could potentially be dozens of witnesses,” said West Midlands police.

Sidali was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but doctors turned off his life support two days later. A 16-year-old had already been charged with his attempted murder.

Sidali lived with his family in Bordesley Green. In a tribute, they recalled how they had fled with him from war in Somalia when he was a toddler. He was a “driven young man” who aspired to be an accountant and was particularly close to his father, they said. “He was loved by many and we are saddened to have lost an angelic soul in such a tragic way.”

Abdullah Muhammad, 16, Small Heath, 20 February

Abdullah Muhammad had been stabbed in the back and chest when police found him in Sara Park in Small Heath, Birmingham. He died at the scene, just yards from a primary school, a mosque and an NHS community centre. He was with another boy, 15, who had suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

No arrests have been made and police have called on the public to help them to identify people involved in violent crime. West Midlands police promised a “robust policing response” but vowed it would be “sensitive to the fears and concerns of our local communities”.

Leaders at the Green Lane mosque, where Abdullah studied the Qur’an, said he was well-mannered and that he had ambition and potential. “This is an immense loss for the family and we pray that Allah grants them patience,” one told the Birmingham Mail.

Lejean Richards, 19, Battersea, south London, 5 February

Lejean Richards, 19, from Battersea in south London, was stabbed in Wolsey Court, off Westbridge Road, and pronounced dead at the scene. The incident took place a short walk from Prince George’s school. Two brothers, Roy and Roger Reyes-Nieves, aged 23 and 18, were charged with the murder. The pair appeared in custody at Bromley magistrates court at the end of February. The Metropolitan police said they believed Lejean, a pizza delivery driver, had been attacked by a group during an altercation involving up to six people and were “keeping an open mind” about the motive.

Police chief says knife crime spate is 'national emergency' Read more

A fundraiser was set up to help pay for his funeral costs. A close friend said: “We would like to thank everyone for their ongoing prayers and support after the tragic death of our beloved Lejean. He was only 19 years old and was just starting his life.”

Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, Wood Green, north London, 22 February

The teenager died after he was stabbed by a gang riding bikes. The 19-year-old was chased into a hair salon in Wood Green, north London, by men armed with a firearm, knives and a samurai sword. DCI Katherine Goodwin said her team believed the attack may have started near a Vue cinema and McDonald’s at Hollywood Green shopping area, opposite Wood Green Tube station. “There are a number of lines of inquiry ongoing as to which premises in this area the victims or suspects may have entered during the relevant time, though we believe the 19-year-old was fatally attacked in a hair salon on Vincent Road,” she said.

Connor Brown, 18, Sunderland, 24 February

Connor Brown, an amateur boxer, football fan and GPs’ receptionist, was out with friends in central Sunderland, sharing pictures and videos on Snapchat, in the hours before he was stabbed in an alley behind The Borough, a popular party pub.

Police and paramedics arrived at the scene at about 1.30am on Sunday and took him to hospital, but he died soon after.

According to local media, bouncers from a nearby bar chased one suspect up the alley and held him until police arrived. Later the same day, police charged Leighton Barrass, 20, of Sunderland with murder. A second man, Ally Gordon, 19, of Polmuir Road, Sunderland, was subsequently also charged with murder and possession of a bladed article. The have been remanded in custody.

Sunderland, a city not known for its violent crime, was stunned by Connor’s death. An online fund for the family reached nearly £27,000 in two days. To mark seven days since his murder, nightclubs and venues across the city last weekend held a minute’s silence, while fans at Sunderland AFC gave a minute’s ovation in his memory on the 18th minute of their match with Plymouth Argyle.

Messages, flowers and balloons were left at a makeshift shrine at the scene of the attack. “You were an amazing young lad with such a contagious smile and always full of mischief,” said one.

Hazrat Umar, 18, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, 25 February

Hazrat Umar was on his way to the gym in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, at about 2pm on a Monday afternoon when he was stabbed, the city’s third teenage stabbing victim in less than a fortnight. He died as paramedics tried to save his life on Norwood Road, a barren cut-through lined with industrial units.

Later that night, West Midlands police arrested a 16-year-old boy. He has since been charged with Hazrat’s murder and jailed on remand before a plea hearing on 1 April and a trial expected to start on 10 June.

Hazrat, the eldest of four siblings, was studying to be an electrical engineer. His family said: “Hazrat Umar was so very loved by all his family especially his parents. They were overjoyed with the birth of their precious son after over 20 years. The emptiness we feel after losing Hazrat can’t be described.”

He was the nephew of Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecutor, who wrote in the Daily Mail that his father would have never imagined such a tragedy in his family when he moved to the UK from Pakistan. “He came here not just because of the opportunities for work and education, but because he believed that Britain was a safer country than his native one.”

Jodie Chesney, Romford, east London, 1 March

The 17-year-old girl was stabbed in a park in east London. The police said the teenager had been playing music with a group of friends and socialising. Witnesses saw two males in the park who left at 9pm. The two males and the group Jodie was with did not speak to each other or interact.

“Around 30 minutes later , the pair returned to the park and walked straight towards the group, where one of the males stabbed Jodie once in the back. Nothing was said by the two suspects, who ran off in the direction of Retford Road,” the Metropolitan police said.

Jodie’s uncle Dave Chesney said: “This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her.”

Yousef Ghaleb Makki, 17, Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, 2 March

The private security guards that patrol the streets of Hale Barns, Greater Manchester’s most-affluent suburb, could not save Yousef Ghaleb Makki, when he was stabbed early on Saturday evening. Police found the 17-year-old slumped against a tree on Gorse Bank Road at 6.40pm. He was rushed to hospital, but died a short time later.

Yousef, a scholarship recipient at £12,500-a-year grammar school, was about eight miles from the modest terrace in Burnage he shared with his mother and brother. “Yousef had only phoned home hours earlier to say that he would be home for his tea, but the next knock at the door were officers with the tragic news,” his family said.

Two 17-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the stabbing. They remained in custody on Monday night after the investigation team was granted a warrant continue questioning them. A report in the Telegraph claimed that both lived close to the scene of the killing.

Denise Haddad, a local councillor for Hale Barns, urged constituents in “statistically one of the safest areas to live” to keep the killing in perspective. “This is not something that has happened before and there is no evidence to suggest that more people are carrying knives in this area,” she said.

• This footnote was added on 14 March 2019 to note that shortly after publication of this article, a sixth fatal stabbing of a London teenager occurred, that of Ayub Hassan, 17, on 7 March in West Kensington. Elsewhere in the piece, earlier references to Manchester have been corrected to Greater Manchester.