A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after a teenager who became a father just weeks ago was chased down 'like a dog' and knifed to death in the street.

Victim: Charlie Burns as a schoolboy. A neighbour said he was growing into a 'lovely young man'

The 16-year-old is being held in custody alongside a 19-year-old man at an east London police station after the attack in Hackney, east London, yesterday afternoon.

The victim has been named locally as 19-year-old Charlie Burns, who reportedly only became a father to a baby boy in the last month.

Witnesses say Mr Burns, who lives nearby, was chased down a street in Hackney yesterday afternoon by a gang of around five men who repeatedly stabbed him.

As they made their getaway in a blue hatchback they knocked over a lamp post, the Evening Standard reported.

A man in his 20s, who would not give his name for fear of reprisals, told the paper: 'I saw him running down the road carrying a bottle of Lucozade in his hand. They chased him down like a dog.'

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'We have known the family for a number of years now and it is such a tragic loss. They lost a daughter a couple of years ago, I think to cerebral palsy, it's just tragic for the family.

'Charlie was growing into a lovely young man as well, but I wouldn't want to say more because I haven't spoken to the family yet, it's just a tragedy.'

A resident who lives on Prenthouse Road, which is around the corner from the stabbing, said he heard people screaming: 'I'm going to kill you.'

The man, who asked not to be named, said: ' I was upstairs in the bedroom getting changed when I heard lots of shouting and screaming.

'I looked out of the window and I saw five or six black lads running down Darnley Road, screaming 'I'm going to kill you'.

'I'd say they was chasing somebody because of the way they were running. They weren't running in a big group, they were sort of in ones or two, and there was definitely at least five of them.

'I had to leave the house because I was visiting my mother in hospital but as I left the police arrived.

Investigation: A forensics tent at the scene of a stabbing in Hackney,east London. The victim has been named locally as 19-year-old Charlie Burns, who in the last month became a father

A 16-year-old is being held in custody alongside a 19-year-old man at an east London police station after the attack in Hackney, east London, yesterday afternoon

A policeman lays a floral tribute at the scene of the stabbing on Frampton Park Road

Mourners at the scene. An eyewitness said the victim was 'chased down like a dog'

'We didn't know somebody had been stabbed until this morning the police officers had just told us there had been a fight.'

Another elderly resident added: 'There was lots of screaming and shouting, and I thought it must have been a fight, but have since found out it was a stabbing.

'This area used to be bad but it has got a lot better over the years. But recently it seems like things might be changing again, unfortunately.'

A small group of people, gathered next to the crime scene at Frampton Park Road this afternoon to pray for the victim and the family.

Reverend Betsy Blatchley, Vicar of St Luke's Parish, said: 'We have just come here to pray for him. We have to just pray for the area and the families involved.'

A man in his 20s, who would not be named for fear of reprisals, told the paper: 'I saw him running down the road carrying a bottle of Lucozade in his hand. They chased him down like a dog'

The victim is the seventh teenager to be killed in the capital this year, six of whom have been fatally stabbed

She added: 'We are from the Baptist, Anglican, and Catholic, churches in the area. We have just come here to pray and wouldn't really like to comment further.'

Two single white roses have been laid next to the police cordon.

Other friends have also laid floral tributes with messages saying: 'Rest in Peace Charlie Boy. Always in our thoughts. God Bless' signed Caroline and Rebecca and families

TEENAGERS KILLED IN THE CAPITAL SO FAR THIS YEAR Basel Aghabra, 19, of Marylebone, central London, stabbed to death at a flat in nearby Lisson Grove on February 3. Schoolgirl Shereka Fab-Ann Marsh, 15, shot dead at a house near her family home in Hackney, east London, on March 22. Sixth form student Alim Uddin, 17, stabbed to death in Brixton, on May 4. Business studies college student Jamil Palmer, 18, of Hampton, stabbed to death in a park in Feltham, west London, on May 6. James Hunter, 18, fatally stabbed during a street fight near his home in Lewisham, south east London on May 31. David Headlam, the 18-year-old son of a Pentecostal church minister, died after being fatally stabbed in the thigh when attacked by two men as he walked home in Harlesden, north west London on June 29. - A record number of 29 teenagers were murdered in London in 2008, topping the previous worst toll of 27 in 2007. However, there was a steep decline to just 15 teenage murders in the capital in 2009. A total of 19 teenagers were unlawfully killed in London in 2010, while 15 teenagers were murdered in the capital in 2011. Eight teenagers were murdered in London in 2012, but the figure rose to 12 last year. Advertisement

Another said: 'Rest in Peace Charlie. We can't believe you're gone. It don't even seem real. You're but never forgotten. We all love you and miss you.

'God Bless. We love you Chuck. Aaron, Harry, Daniel, Joe. Always in our hearts.'

Police were called to the scene at 4pm, where a man was found with multiple stab wounds.

The victim was taken to hospital but died just over 90 minutes later.

Police said the man's family had been informed and that a post-mortem will take place.

Asked whether the attack was gang related, a police spokesman said: 'That is one line of enquiry that our investigators will be looking into.'

A Scotland Yard statement said: 'Officers were called at 4pm today by paramedics to reports of a stabbing in Frampton Park Road, Hackney.

'Officers attended and found a man, believed to be aged 19, suffering multiple stab wounds. He received treatment at the scene and was taken to an east London hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead at 5.38pm.

'Cordons are in place and inquiries under way, led by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

'Officers retain an open mind regarding the motive for the attack at this time.'

An incident room has opened under the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

The victim is the seventh teenager to be killed in the capital this year, six of whom have been fatally stabbed.

Twitter user Laura Goodwin wrote 'RIP Charlie Burns , so sad to hear another young life taken away.'