A tearful friend of one of the two boys murdered over the weekend said he would be ‘forever 16’ and said she would do ‘anything to have him back’

A tearful friend of one of the two boys murdered over the weekend said he would be ‘forever 16’ and said she would do ‘anything to have him back’.

Kearne Solanke and Charlie Bartolo, both aged 16, were found with stab wounds in Titmuss Avenue, Thamesmead, and Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, in Greenwich on Saturday afternoon.

The two boys — who are friends with each other — became the latest victims of lawless London last night,  which prompted a double murder investigation to be launched.

In a social media tribute the female friend of Charlie said.’My Angel. Forever 16. 

‘I miss you so so much your my world I’ll do anything to have you back — my brightest star.’ 

Meanwhile, a woman who knew Charlie, and who lives behind the scene, claimed today the youngster was run off his bike before being stabbed four times on a long straight road, reportedly popular for young people riding motorbikes.

The woman, who would not be named, said she knew the ‘lovely little kid’ when he was around 12 years old and said he lived near Tavy Bridge less than a mile away.

She said: ‘It’s brutal, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, it’s disgusting.

‘The police have said he (Charlie) was riding his motorbike and someone rammed into him, he tried to get up and run and they kicked him and stabbed him four times.

‘It’s one thing to run someone off their bike, but then to kick him and stab him to death is disgusting.

‘My mum and his mum were friends, we met a few times.He was always a nice boy. It’s not nice, having this on your doorstep.

‘Bless him, he had his whole life ahead of him.

‘You’d think just running him off his bike would have been enough. But to get out and then do what they done after, hopefully they’ll catch them.

‘I did hear the bang, but you hear bangs all the time because of the amount of lorries that come up and down here.And people messing around, you just don’t think anything of it.

‘It’s only when the sirens started getting closer I thought wow, that’s close. Obviously I was pottering around and I thought, that is close.

‘My neighbours found him, they’re traumatised, they haven’t slept.

‘His mum has been coming here every day.She was here a few times yesterday, people have been coming to lay flowers every day.

‘I knew Charlie four or five years ago, that was the last time I saw him. He was a lovely little kid, really nice, really polite.’

Social media pictures of Kearne show him looking delighted with a birthday cake as he celebrated the landmark birthday just month earlier.  

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, from  Specialist Command, said: ‘This is a positive development in what is a complex and fast-moving investigation. Charlie and Kearne’s families have been informed.

‘Our investigation is ongoing and we continue to appeal for the public’s help as we build a picture of what happened on Saturday night.If you have information, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, please come forward.’

As neighbours mourned the losses of the boys, police launched an appeal to speak to anyone who may have seen a dark coloured SUV or 4×4 type vehicle with distinctive silver roof bars around the two roads in the days prior to the murders. 

Police and paramedics were scrambled at around 5.10pm on Saturday to find two victims with stab wounds less than a mile apart.

But despite the efforts of the emergency services, both of the teenagers succumbed to their wounds and died last night. Police have now confirmed that the deaths are linked.

Detective superintendent Richard McDonagh, speaking at the scene of one of the incidents, said: ‘This is an extremely sad day for all of us who live or work in Greenwich.

‘Police are investigating the tragic murders of two teenage boys, and my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families and friends — and indeed with local people in Abbey Wood and Thamesmead who I know are shocked and appalled by what has happened.

‘As the Deputy Borough Commander of the Met’s South East Command Unit, I join them in being deeply saddened and outraged by these senseless murders.

‘On Saturday evening, at around 5.10pm, police were called to reports of two people injured in two locations; Sewell Road, Abbey Wood and Titmuss Avenue, Thamesmead.

‘The locations are approximately one mile apart.

‘Emergency services attended immediately, and at each location they found a 16-year-old boy suffering stab injuries.Tragically, both boys died of their injuries.

He went on to confirm the two victims’ names and said that their families have been made aware and are receiving specialist support.

He added: ‘Homicide colleagues are investigating and are treating the two murders as linked.The investigation is therefore led by one team of specialist homicide investigators based at Lewisham.

‘I can assure everyone affected by these murders that skilled detectives will work tirelessly to discover what happened and provide answers to the young victims’ families.

‘Tackling violence is a priority for the Met.

‘Days like today show why that work is so important, and why I must again ask all of London’s communities to work with us, and our partners, so that we are doing all that we can together to prevent such tragedies.

‘We have already heard from a number of witnesses, and I am grateful to them for getting in touch and providing information to police.

‘Any witnesses, or those who knew Charlie or Kearne and might be able to offer some information or insight into these senseless killings, are urged to contact police.The phone number is 101 and you should quote reference 4943/26nov.

‘Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111.. They do not ask your name or trace your IP address.’

Crime scenes remained in place at both locations on Sunday morning with police offices guarding the cordoned off areas.

Several teenage boys laid flowers by the cordon in Titmuss Avenue, where a forensics tent could still be seen by some knocked over dustbins.

One was tearful as he placed a red love-heart balloon alongside them.

Officers later cordoned off a black Nissan with one saying it is a ‘car of interest’ in the investigation.

Bamidele Folorunso, a neighbour who did not give her age but lives nearby and was on the way to church, said: ‘It is very sad.We just found out the boy was on the floor www.sulselinfo.id and the police came and they tried to resuscitate him.’ 

A visibly upset Ms Folorunso said: ‘Since then, everyone in the area has been mourning. It is very sad to lose a 16-year-old boy.’ 

Victor, 30, a football manager, who says he went to school with the victim’s mother, said the stabbing was ‘not normal’ for the area but things have been getting worse in recent years. 

‘There is a lot of stuff going on on the street with the young kids — it’s due to the lack of youth centres. 

‘There is not really a place where kids say ‘this is a safe environment’.’ 

‘I’ve got three kids.I went and told my partner (about the stabbing) and she said ‘I want to get out of here’.’ 

Teresa Cheshire, 50, who also lives on the road, said her children walk down the road every day. 

She said: ‘I just saw a lot of people by the bin shed.All I heard was the screaming and that was at 5.20pm.’ 

‘It is scary because it is all the press and everything but it is for all the wrong reasons. ‘I’m frightened to let my kids outside now.’It’s just shocking.’ 

Meanwhile Gillian Southwest, 48, who also lives on the road, said: ‘It is terrible. I have lived here for 28 years. 

‘If it’s the boy I think it is he’s a really a good boy.’

A 32-year-old man, who did not wish to be named but lived on the road all his life, said he was waiting for an ambulance for his grandmother when a commotion began. 

‘I heard some noise at about 6 o’clock — the bins were all rattling.There are always some kids running through making noise but something like this is out of the ordinary. To hear something like this in this area is shocking.’ 

The two boys have become the latest victims in the bloodshed to have swept across the capital, with eight people fatally stabbed or shot since October 25. 

<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-13de0f70-6e81-11ed-93e8-e13f0bc3b003" website sixteen&apos;: Friend of murdered teenager posts tribute