A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death in an attack detectives believe took place after his moped and a car collided on a residential street in east London on Tuesday evening.

Scotland Yard initially said there had been no collision in Leyton, in the borough of Waltham Forest, but officers later amended that to say they thought one had, in fact, occurred before three male suspects got out of the car, stabbed the boy and drove off. They offered no further description of the attackers.

Police and ambulance workers found the victim, who has not been named, suffering from stab wounds as they responded to reports of a road accident at about 6.30pm. Despite the efforts of paramedics, the teenager was declared dead shortly after 7pm, the Metropolitan police said. Officers appealed for information on Tuesday, saying no arrests had yet been made.

People living near the scene of the incident said they had not heard any shouting or screaming and that it was not until they saw the blue flashing lights from the emergency services that they knew something had happened.

The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, tweeted:

I’m greatly saddened by news of the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old in Waltham Forest, and my thoughts are with his family and friends.



If anyone has information about this horrific incident - please contact the @metpoliceuk on 101 or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously. https://t.co/zQ4FL5DTeR — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) January 8, 2019

Forensics officers were searching the scene on Tuesday evening. The street remained cordoned off at both ends and a forensic tent was erected in the middle. Officers in blue suits could be seen assessing the area.