A young man was stabbed and killed in a cinema car-park after “making eye contact” with a group of strangers, his devastated girlfriend has said.

Hosam Eisa, 20, was allegedly set upon by four teenagers in the multi-storey car park in Romford’s Brewery shopping centre, before one of them pulled out a knife.

His partner Salma Begum, 19, said she was “paralysed by fear” during the attack, adding: “I could not move, scream or run away.”

Passers-by administered first aid to Mr Eisa before he was rushed to hospital, where he died an hour later at about 5.30pm on Thursday.

Mr Eisa’s killing was the 14th fatal stabbing in London in a month.

The Standard understands that Mr Eisa was born in Egypt and moved with his family to Mantova in northern Italy in 2002. They moved to Dagenham last year.

He was working as a waiter to save money before starting a university course next year, friends said.

Miss Begum told how Mr Eisa tried to defend himself after being pursued as the couple left the Vue cinema.

She told Italian newspaper Gazzetta di Mantova: “We were together when four boys approached us. Hosam didn’t know them, I have no doubt about this.

“They made eye contact, they became immediately aggressive and a fight broke out.

“They started to beat him and Hosam tried to defend himself, but he was alone against four boys. I was completely paralysed by fear. I could not move, scream or run away.

“A man tried to help, but then one of the four pulled out a knife and stabbed Hosam. Then they fled running and other people arrived to give us aid, but it was too late.”

Tributes to the 20-year-old have flooded in on social media since his death.

One friend wrote: “Thanks for being an older brother, always ready to help me. Thanks for everything. Still can’t believe you’re no longer here but hope to see you again up there.”

Another said: “I talked to you few days ago and now I’m still shocked I’m not going be able to talk to you anymore. Thanks for all those moments together.”

Passerby Jodie Freeman, 22, administered CPR after seeing Mr Eisa slumped on the floor next to a car.

The betting shop manager said: “He was stabbed on the left side either on the heart or close to it. He was trying to speak but he didn’t manage to say anything. He was struggling to breathe.

“After everything had happened I gave his girlfriend a cuddle and said ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything more.’ Washing his blood off my hands has got to be the worst moment of my life.”

The killing took place at the same time as Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick spoke to community leaders in Putney about the force’s response to the recent wave of fatal stabbings.

Today, the head of the Met’s anti-knife initiative accepted the force had failed in the past to engage with communities blighted by knife crime, and called on the public to help detectives tackle the epidemic.

Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher, who leads the Met’s anti-knife initiative Operation Sceptre, said: “We are an enforcement agency and we’re not the best fit to this societal problem. Londoners recognise this and they do recognise that we’re not going to solve it on our own.”

Che Pullen, 19, of Romford, and a 17-year-old boy will appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday charged with Mr Eisa’s murder.