A suspect who is at the centre of a murder investigation after a man was allegedly stabbed to death in Portugal is a British drainage engineer, MailOnline can reveal.

Josh James Menkens is alleged to have been one of the organisers of a mini-festival known as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party last weekend near a remote commune known as Libelinha Venture in central Portugal.

The festival, which was hosted at an off-grid property, descended into chaos after the body of a 35-year-old British man was found in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The victim is alleged to have been stabbed to death after getting into a row with his attacker while playing the Blue Whale suicide game – an online challenge linked to a series of deaths worldwide. 

Menkens, who is 27, was pictured today being taken from a courthouse in the city of Leiria, an hour’s drive away from the commune after being quizzed by a judge investigating the case.

His head covered by a coat, Menkens was hustled into an unmarked police car as a man believed to be his father shouted, ‘Your mother loves you son, we all love you.’

Police sources confirmed that Menkens has been named as an ‘arguido’ (suspect) in the case and will reappear before the judge tomorrow for further questioning.

It comes after a suspected murder case which shattered the tranquility of the forest valleys in Pedrogao Grande in the centre of the country.

The rambling Libelinha Venture, which includes 24-acres of wide open woodland, hills and shrubbery, is run by new-age privately educated British businessman Xavier Hancock and his Spanish partner Arantxa Atauri.

It is believed to have been hosting a festival for British and Dutch visitors called the ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, when the body of a 35-year-old British man was found less then a mile away on Sunday, September 24.

Police sources said the suspect and victim had been at a party at the couple’s ‘off-grid living community’ before moving onto woodland outside the commune. 

In 2017, it was bought by eccentric British businessman Xavier Hancock, who attended the £15,000-a-year St Edward’s school, and transformed into a peaceful oasis of communal calm outfitted by the sites distinctive white teepees.

For potential visitors, Hancock, who set up the commune with his Spanish partner Arantxa Atauri, promises the chance to ‘reconnect’ with nature ‘during a journey towards self sustainability’.

Hancock, who is believed to have hosted the 27-year-old suspect and the victim at the commune prior to the incident, has said he is fully co-operating with police investigations while they probe the circumstances around the death. 

There is no suggestion whatsoever that Hancock or Arantxa are in any way involved in the crime.

Police confirmed yesterday they were initially told the British man’s death was linked to an argument that started while he and his friends were playing the Blue Whale suicide challenge.

The online game has been linked to numerous deaths around the world and consists of initially innocuous tasks before introducing elements of self-harm.

But sources close to the investigation subsequently insisted they had found no evidence there was a Blue Whale link to the death.

Correio da Manha claimed today the suspect had only mentioned the game ‘after having confessed to the crime’ as a way of ‘explaining the situation that led to the macabre death.’

The alarm was raised around 6.30am on Sunday and the suspect reportedly admitted stabbing his alleged victim before taking police to the remote woodland spot where his body was.

The knife investigators believe was used to kill him was found alongside the body, left in a small clearing in woodland close to the village of Figueiro dos Vinhos about a 15-minute drive from the town of Pedrogao Grande in central Portugal.

Footage published by Portuguese daily Correio da Manha showed police lifting the dead man’s body on a stretcher after it was covered with a sheet and putting it into the back of a nearby van.

A waiting Red Cross ambulance took it to Coimbra after officers reached the nearest tarmacked road.

A post-mortem is thought to have taken place yesterday in the university city of Coimbra, although the results have not been made public.

Well-placed sources said both the 35-year-old victim and suspected murderer had been part of a larger group of around six British people who had been living in the ‘off-grid living community’ and were due to fly back to the UK in about a week’s time. 

One well-placed source said the suspect and other Brits questioned by police on Sunday as witnesses had been at a party at a campsite inside the community grounds before leaving to go to nearby woodland outside it where the stabbing occurred.

Another police source said: ‘A group of about half a dozen people the suspect and dead man were part of were staying at a campsite near to the place where the victim’s body was found.

‘It appears they had attended a party there earlier that night before leaving to head for the woodland where the stabbing happened.’

The group are understood to have been planning to fly back to the UK in about a week’s time.

Respected Portuguese broadcaster SIC said the group often held parties and played the Blue Whale game – but there were contradictory reports in local media about whether the group of Britons had been playing at the time of the murder.

The lethal Blue Whale ‘game’ involves 50 tasks in as many days, aimed at ‘creating psychologically traumatising situations’, ending with suicide.

Participants join a ‘group’ where the tasks are set by a group ‘administrator’ and can range from watching horror movies to waking at strange hours, and eventually progresses to self harming.

On the 50th day, the controlling manipulators behind the game, which originated in Russia in 2015, reportedly instruct the participants, who are usually teenagers, to kill themselves.

The game, which reportedly started in Russia, has caused numerous deaths around the world, including Ukraine, India and the United States.

First reports about its victims appeared in Russia in 2016, and in 2020 police in Britain issued a warning to parents to be mindful of their children’s online activities, urging them to talk about the dangers they can face.

At the time, Northants Police said: ‘We are aware of a disturbing social media challenge circulating called the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ which encourages teenagers to take part in a series of 50 challenges that culminate in committing suicide.

‘This challenge first appeared in 2016 and tasks are given online or through text messages, instant messages or posts on Instagram and Twitter.

‘Please talk to your children about the dangers and tell them not to open any messages or challenges of this kind.’

This is the moment police stopped the delivery van that terror suspect Daniel Khalife clung to during his audacious escape from Wandsworth Prison.

Officers pulled the Bidfood van over on the Upper Richmond Road in Putney, Southwest London at 8.37am yesterday morning.

Khalife – who had been working in the prison kitchen and was wearing chef’s red and white cheque trousers with a white T-shirt – sneaked under the vehicle, which was delivering food and groceries.

He held on to the underside of the truck with straps, which were found by police after they had stopped the vehicle.

Khalife, however, was already long gone.

The van was roughly two and a half miles from Wandsworth Prison when it was stopped.

Officers using sniffer dogs spent two hours combing through the vehicle and looking underneath it.

An onlooker, who took these dramatic videos, told MailOnline this evening: ‘The police pulled up behind the van after ordering it to stop.

‘They spent a few hours looking all the way through it, in the back, in the driver’s cab, underneath it and even on top of it.

‘They had sniffer dogs trying to pick up the scent of something, but they didn’t find anything of any note.

‘I didn’t know what was going on. It’s only tonight that I’ve found out this was the truck used by the escaped prisoner. It’s quite shocking.’

BidFood delivery since has confirmed one of its lorries had been used in the escape.

In a statement the company said: ‘Yesterday morning we were made aware of a security incident involving one of our vehicles, whilst out on delivery.

‘We can confirm that our driver fully cooperated with the police on this matter before returning back to the depot. We will continue to assist the authorities in their ongoing investigation.’

The video comes as the Metropolitan Police has revealed the exact route escape terror suspect and former soldier Daniel Khalife took as he clung to the underside of a food van when he escaped HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday. 

The force also admitted that the more than 150 cops charged with finding the escaped suspect, 21, have still not found him.

Khalife, a former soldier in the 22 Signal Regiment who was on remand at HMP Wandsworth ahead of his six-week terror trial, was meant to be working in the kitchens when he sneaked out and strapped himself underneath a Bidfood truck that delivered food and supplies on Wednesday.

Dressed as a chef, the soldier-turned-alleged-spy served fellow inmates breakfast and then evaded guards and CCTV while the vehicle was driven for 250 yards along an internal road and out through HMP Wandsworth’s famous Victorian gate in a matter of minutes.

Khalife is believed to have slipped out of one several doors to the kitchen having said he was unloading a supplies van. 

The van left the Category-B prison at around 7:30 am, taking a right turn out of the gates onto Heathfield Road. 

He was declared missing at 7:50 am, and the Met was notified at 8:15.  

The food van then turned left onto Magdalen Road, before it turned left onto Trinity Road (A214) up to the Wandsworth Roundabout and took the first exit onto Swandon Way (A217).

The food van then turned left onto Old York Road, past Wandsworth Town station, then left onto Fairfield Street, right onto Wandsworth High Street (A3) staying straight ahead onto West Hill and then on to Upper Richmond Road (A205).

It is not known exactly where the van went after this, or where Khalife may have left the vehicle.  

The Met says its investigation into his disappearance is focused on London, particularly around this route, as well as the Kingston-Upon-Thames area, where Khalife was known to have connections.

It said that it feared that Khalife has already left the country, with Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s counterterrorism control saying: ‘It’s absolutely possible . . . he has already left the country. There’s been a huge effort in borders around the country trying to identify if he has already left. We believe him to be here, but we keep an open mind.’

Officers were said to be keeping a close watch on an upstairs flat in Kingston, close to the edge of Richmond Park, where Khalife’s mother and twin sister are understood to have lived until a few years ago.

A neighbour told The Daily Telegraph: ‘A woman lived upstairs who had a son and daughter. The boy would come and go swearing loudly. She moved to Wales roughly three years ago – a year after we moved in.

‘The family were British, of Middle Eastern origin. They didn’t talk to us or anyone else in the street very much that I could see.

‘It’s worrying to think that this young man might head back to this area after escaping from prison.’

HMP Wandsworth has been severely criticised for its conditions, with top-level figures claiming the prison needs to be shut down. 

The UK’s chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, outright said that HMP Wandsworth needs to be shut down. 

He told Sky News: ‘When you find a prison like Wandsworth, it really needs closing ultimately – it is not a suitable prison.

‘In an ideal world one would, but of course you need jails because you need to service the courts.

‘We’ve actually got a crisis at the moment in prisons just in terms of population and places, so there are only just enough prison places available at the moment for the number of prisoners who are coming in.

‘And of course that puts a huge strain on the system, so in a huge jail like Wandsworth you are getting people in, you are getting them to court, you are getting them back from court and then as soon as they’ve been sentenced, they are being moved onto another jail as quickly as possible.

‘And it is something about that churn that also adds to the general complications and sometimes what feels like chaos in some of those big local prisons like Wandsworth.’  

The Victorian jail in the southwest of the city has been described in a recent report as ‘overcrowded, crumbling and vermin-infested.’

Both Mr Taylor and the prison’s Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) raised concerns about staffing levels, among other issues, in reports published last year.

In findings published in January 2022 after an inspection in September 2021, Mr Taylor warned: ‘Staffing shortfalls were preventing the prison from running a decent and predictable regime. More than 30% of prison officers were either absent or unable to work their full duties. Around a quarter were less than a year in post and more than 10% had resigned in the last 12 months.’

The report also highlighted how a ‘serious security breach had led to an escape in 2019’ and while the watchdog was ‘given some assurance that action to prevent further escapes had been taken in response to the investigation that followed’, it warned that ‘current local security data evidenced some concerns in the physical aspects of security.’

At the time Mr Taylor also told how the prison did not have enough body-worn cameras for every staff member on duty and highlighted how there had recently been several changes in leadership.

Inspectors described ‘very poor’ living conditions with ‘piles of litter’ and said levels of violence had risen since previous inspections.

On Thursday Mr Taylor said of the ‘completely overcrowded’ and vermin-infested site that his last inspection showed Wandsworth had high numbers of ‘non-effective’ staff – which means they are off work for reasons including sickness and training.

‘It was definitely one of the worst (prisons) we’d come across and they had real problems in having enough staff in place and of course, that immediately is a big issue for the prison because it means that all the systems in the prison are put under strain as a result of it.

‘What a prison should do is prioritise security over everything else, because that’s its predominant function, but if you have got very big shortages of staff that inevitably is going to be an issue,’ he said.

Wandsworth has one of the highest rate of sickness absence among staff, official Government figures show.

The average number of working days lost due to sickness absence at Wandsworth per full-time equivalent staff was 20.4 in the 12 months to June 30 2023, compared with 19.5 in the year to March 2022 and 13.6 in the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20.

The Prison Officers Association has blamed budget cuts for the escape.

Chairman Mark Fairhurst said: ‘Wandsworth is one of the largest prisons in the country and is overcrowded and under resourced.

‘The chronic staffing shortages and lack of adequate training for staff highlight the need for an urgent review of how our prisons are run.’

Prison Officers Association Steve Gillian told Times Radio that Wandsworth has too few perimeter checks because of cutbacks. 

He said: ‘I sort of think there’s not enough security like perimeter checks and things like that are being cut back. Different things. The day to day security. People aren’t getting enough time to do the security task that they should be doing.

‘So, for example, the security of a prison is foremost in my mind, always has been. But getting the time to do the basics, such as like a cell fabric check, right. For instance, I’ve noticed that sometimes prison officers will rush it because there’s not enough time in the day.

‘A fabric check would be checking the locks, the bolts, the bars, the fabric of the cell to ensure it’s not tampered with and so forth.’

He added: ‘It’s been that way for a substantial amount of time, not just at Wandsworth but across the country. So Wandsworth yesterday, it could be another prison tomorrow, unfortunately. 

‘And your stats are pretty sound. Actual fact, because I spoke to the Wandsworth Play Committee this morning just to see how many staff were on duty. And you’re absolutely right, 1600 prisoners.

‘And this is supposed to be a certified normal accommodation of just over 900, which means that’s the proper amount of prisoners that should be at once with. 

‘But they are grossly overcrowded by 600 prisoners that are sharing cells, doubling up for cells that should be for one person and to have 70 staff on duty for 1600 prisoners. 

‘Just demonstrates to your listeners the sort of stress that my members are under on a daily basis.’ 

Police believe the fugitive may still be hiding out in London, but due to the serious nature of the charges against him, security alerts were issued to all ports and airports.

The force admitted that Khalife’s ‘previous military experience’ may make him harder to catch, as he is likely ‘more aware of efforts to apprehend him.’ 

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the investigation, asked for anyone with information about Khalife that may help us to get in touch urgently.

He said: ‘Since yesterday, over 150 officers and staff have been working around the clock on apprehending Khalife.

‘We have issued a nationwide alert that has resulted in increased security at our ports and borders, however currently there have not been any confirmed sightings.

‘I recognise and am fully aware of the impact these measures are having on the public. We are working to ensure as minimal disruption as possible.

‘It is crucial for the public to help us with this search and to call us immediately if they have any information on the whereabouts of Khalife.’

The fugitive, described as being of slim build, with short brown hair and 6ft 2ins tall, and was said to be wearing a white T-shirt, distinctive red and white chequered trousers and brown steel-toe boots, though the Met Police said that the public should not focus on his clothing. 

Murphy said at a briefing: ‘He clearly could very quickly change those clothes, so I wouldn’t want to focus too much on that.’

He described him as a ‘very resourceful individual’, adding: ‘Our experience of him shows that, so nothing is off the table with him at the moment.

‘This was a really busy area of London and we’ve had no confirmed sightings in any of that information, which is a little unusual, and perhaps testament to Daniel Khalife’s ingenuity in his escape and some of his movements after his escape.

‘It’s important that we remember that we have some of the best military in the world here in the UK and he was trained.

‘He was a trained soldier – so ultimately he has skills that perhaps some sections of the public don’t have.’

Experts have weighed in on exactly how Khalife may have escaped.  

Former Metropolitan Police Detective, Peter Bleksley, said: ‘If this is pre-planned and he is supported by a network of fellow minded criminals then of course he could have cash, shelter, change of clothing, false passport and may already have left the country’.

Mr Bleksley said police will hope he is working alone, because it increases the chances of being spotted and arrested because he would probably have to steal clothing, break into buildings to hide or hunt through bins for food.

On Thursday, new photos of the terror suspect emerged, showing him as a cadet at training barracks. 

One picture, of him shirtless, was taken at Pirbright Barracks in Surrey, where he underwent phase one training in 2019. 

Another image, in which he is wearing a beret, was taken at Blandford Garrison in Dorset during his phase two training the following year.

Colleagues of Khalife described him today as ‘jovial, a bit dopey and playful’.

But despite these positive comments, he was accused of incredibly serious crimes. 

He was charged in January with breaching the Official Secrets Act by allegedly committing ‘an act prejudicial to the safety or interests’ of Britain in a plot said to be linked to Iran.

British-born but said to have Middle Eastern heritage from his mother and father, Khalife was said to have gathered details that ‘could be useful to an enemy’ between May 2019 and January 2022.

He was also charged with eliciting information about members of the Armed Forces useful for terrorism, by recording personal details from the Ministry of Defence joint personnel administration system on August 2, 2021. 

Khalife was arrested after allegedly planting fake bombs – three canisters with wires – on a desk in his barracks accommodation on January 2 this year.

The soldier was discharged from the Army when he faced criminal accusations of perpetrating a bomb hoax ‘with the intention of inducing a belief in another that the said items were likely to explode or ignite’.

Since his arrest, judges have refused to grant the terror suspect bail ahead of his trial at Woolwich Crown Court on November 20. 

Khalife was last seen in public at the Old Bailey in July when he denied all three charges.

A former security minister said that the audacious escape will likely ‘count against him’ if he’s caught. 

Baroness Neville-Jones, chair of the UK’s joint intelligence committee, told Sky News the suspected terrorist ‘has to be found’.

She added: ‘This will count against him without question.’

UK justice officials have been scrutinised for the decision not to place Khalife in a prison with higher levels of security.  

Experts have said he should have been in Category A Belmarsh Prison in south-east London, which holds the majority of the UK’s terror suspects and has never had an escape. 

Chris Atkins, author and former Wandsworth inmate, described the jail as ‘dysfunctional on an epic scale’.

His book Time After Time is out today and serialised by the Mail on Sunday, as was his first book A Bit of a Stretch.

He said the jail is run by ‘terrified’ young officers ‘straight out of school’ with just nine weeks of training who would rely on experienced prisoners like him with basic questions about how to police inmates and what their routine was, even what time they had lunch.

He said: ‘They were so short staffed they asked me to do the register and tick people off as they left the wing. I was a prisoner in jail for a crime of dishonesty yet they allowed me this very very responsible role.

‘I could have ticked a box saying ‘yes a prisoner is here’ when he was half way to France’.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk last night demanded an urgent update from Wandsworth’s governor and senior Prison Service bosses after the jail was placed in lockdown.

Sources said the minister received a run-through of ‘all security measures that have been taken in the medium term to ensure the prison is secure as possible’.

There will be further longer-term work on improving Wandsworth’s security checks, a source added.

Labour justice spokesman Shabana Mahmood said: ‘The Conservatives need to urgently explain how they can’t do the basic job of keeping potentially dangerous criminals locked up.

‘It’s right that the police are given space to recapture this suspect. But Rishi Sunak needs to ensure there is no wider risk because his zombie Government lacks grip on the criminal justice system.’

Activity at transport hubs across the UK slowed to a near-halt last night as forces investigated whether Khalife had managed to sneak out of the country. 

The M20 was closed as a result of the checks, sparking huge queues of trucks around Dover, while there were also delays at airports. 

There was chaos at airports and ports, leading to delays for passengers, as Border Force officials carried out extra security checks in a race to find the fugitive amid fears he may be planning to flee the country – if he hasn’t already.

The hunt continues to cause delays at the Port of Dover where enhanced security checks are taking place. The Dover TAP traffic management system has been enforced on the A20, with lorries queueing in the left-hand lane.

The Port of Dover tweeted this morning: ‘Due to a police matter there are currently enhanced checks on outbound traffic.

‘Please be advised this is currently resulting in some delays at the port.

‘However, our standard travel guidance remains unchanged and we will keep passengers updated if they can expect any alteration to their journey.’

Airports also remain on high alert.

Police task force begins hunt for sniper suspect tied to 22 car shootings in two weeks

•       Police are pursuing a male sniper suspect for nearly two dozen cars

shootings in Michigan that began October 16

•       More than 100 local officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and

federal agents are involved in the investigation

•       Investigators and state police are pulling over local drivers and

questioning them for details

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 17:39 EDT, 31 October 2012 | Updated: 00:27 EDT, 9 May 2013

[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE

Police are hunting a sniper in Michigan tied to 22 car shootings in two weeks, which have caused one injury so far.

A task force of investigators has started questioning drivers in four Michigan counties in hopes of catching a man suspected of shooting at other highway motorists head-on. Police investigators are searching for anything out of the norm during their traffic stops in Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee counties.

More than 100 local officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and federal agents are now involved in the investigation, which began with reported shootings in Wixom, about 25 miles northwest of Detroit on October 16.

A local male was shot in the behind Saturday while heading east along Interstate 96 in Livingston County, causing a nearby school to go into lockdown, according to United Press International.

That victim has been the only person injured so far, but the suspect is believed to be shooting at people and not just their vehicles, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Tuesday.

‘It’s been more of the grace of God than the guy intentionally missing people,’ said Bouchard. ‘We’ve had people who have been missed (by) inches. One bullet was lodged in a driver’s seat.’

‘The suspect is believed to be shooting at vehicles approaching from the opposite direction,’ said Michigan State Police lieutenant Michael Shaw.

‘Some motorists had not realized that their vehicles had been hit until they had driven a quarter-mile or more,’ he said.

The investigative task force has received more than 800 tips so far and has increased the reward money for any information that leads to an arrest to $102,000 from $12,000.

Witnesses have described the suspect’s vehicle as resembling a dark

1998 Oldsmobile Alero or a 1998 Toyota Camry. Those initial descriptions may not be correct, said Shaw.

On Monday police stopped the driver of a dark-colored Chevy Cavalier after a woman reported that something hit her car on U.S. 23 near Brighton, Michigan at 9.05am.

No arrests have been made.

Local officials say it’s a must that they catch the suspect not only to protect lives, but also to stop the spread of fear among citizens in the area.

‘For Halloween, we are going to do special patrols in each of our subdivisions so kids can have a normal Halloween,’ said Clarence Goodlein, Wixom’s public safety director.

‘We’re not going to be in the business of letting a thug and hoodlum bully us and change the course of our lives.’

 

 

 

The man accused of murdering three people in Nottingham tried to break into a residential care home during the rampage, it was claimed today. 

Chilling CCTV footage shows a black-clad man believed to be the suspect looking for a way into Seely Hirst House, which houses vulnerable and homeless people.  

Witnesses said the man arrived at the property in Mapperley Road just after 4am – shortly after 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley Kumar were stabbed to death on Ilkeston Road while returning from a night out. 

The man, who can be seen wearing a backpack in the footage – obtained by The Sun – tries to climb to an open window before being punched by a resident, sending him tumbling back down to the ground. 

The heroic resident, who did not want to be identified, said today: ‘He tried to get into my window. Thank god I woke up as I might have been dead.’ 

He tried another way in but gave up and walked several yards away to Magdala Road, where school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, was found stabbed to death after being flagged down and dragged out of his van. 

The attacker is believed to have used the vehicle to run down a group of pedestrians in the city centre, leaving one of them critically injured. The suspect – aged 31 – was finally stopped by officers armed with Tasers at around 5.30am. 

Alex Pridmore, a trustee of the care home, confirmed the suspect tried to gain entry to the property.

‘I’ve no idea why he chose here – he’s never stayed here so he has no links with the residential care home,’ he told Sky News. 

‘As you can imagine everyone is a bit shaken by what happened. We look after vulnerable people so we’re just relieved that he didn’t gain entry.’

Nottinghamshire Police said: ‘A man matching the description of the suspect attempted to gain entry to a supported living complex in Mapperley Road.’ 

The triple murder suspect, who is believed to be a migrant from West Africa living in the UK legally for a decade, was today refusing to answer questions from police, according to sources. 

The 31-year-old is said to have arrived in the country as a teenager and have a history of petty drug dealing but no criminal record. He was described by neighbours as a ‘very quiet guy’, the Telegraph reported. 

There are also unconfirmed reports that the suspect recently converted to Islam and started attending an Islamic centre close to the scene. He is also understood to have a history of mental health issues.

It has been suggested that the investigation is turning away from terror and instead focusing on the suspect’s mental state – although Nottinghamshire Police has insisted they are keeping an open mind.

School caretaker Ian Coates became the third victim to be identified today.  

His brother, Paul Coates, tweeted: ‘R.I.P Ian Coates, my brother. Ian had led a good life but Grace and Barnaby were just starting out.’

Meanwhile, the victim’s son, Lee, wrote: ‘I’m broken.’

In a statement confirming Mr Coates’ death, Ross Middleton, Executive Headteacher, Huntingdon Academy and Warren Academy, said: ‘Ian was a much-loved colleague who always went the extra mile for the benefit of our children and will be greatly missed.

‘As a school community, it will take time to process this deeply upsetting news. We wish to extend our sympathy and condolences to all those affected by yesterday’s tragic events.’

Diana Owen, chief executive of the L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, said: ‘I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about this tragic news.

‘Ian was a beloved and respected member of the Huntingdon Academy staff. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this extremely sad time.’

Barnaby’s family also paid tribute to him today, describing the talented cricketer as a ‘beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to’. 

Grace’s family are yet to release a public statement after declining to speak yesterday. England Hockey and local cricket clubs paid tribute to Grace this morning.

The tributes come as it was revealed the 31-year-old suspect arrested over the rampage previously lived on the street where the teenagers were killed. 

Sources say he is a low-level drug dealer who was known to police but did not have a criminal record. He is believed to have lived in the UK legally for over a decade with neighbours describing him as a ‘very quiet guy’, according to the Telegraph. 

There are also unconfirmed reports that the suspect recently converted to Islam and started attending an Islamic centre close to the scene. 

He is also described as having a history of mental health issues. 

It was previously suggested that the investigation is turning away from terror and instead focusing on the suspect’s mental state. 

The unnamed man is accused of knifing the students before also killing Mr Coates.   

He then took his van which he smashed into three people. He is currently in custody on suspicion of murder.

Barnaby’s parents David and Emma Webber, and younger brother Charlie, released a heartfelt statement today, telling how the murdered student was ‘at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man’.

They said: ‘Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son.

‘Barnaby Philip John Webber was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

‘A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team.’

‘A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team.’

*SCHOOL’S TRIBUTE TO CARETAKER IAN COATES*

The statement continued: ‘At 19 he was just at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man.

‘As parents we are enormously proud of everything he achieved and all the plans he had made.

‘His brother is bereft beyond belief, and at this time we ask for privacy as a family to be allowed time to process and grieve.

‘We will not be making any further statements, particularly in relation to the police investigation.

‘We are so proud to release these photographs, chosen by us as a family, of an amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend.

‘Thank you for your understanding, and to everyone who has supported us in this awful journey so far.’ 

Grace’s grieving family declined to comment from their £2million north-east London home. 

Her father is believed to be hero doctor Dr Sanjoy Kumar, who previously saved the lives of three teenagers who were stabbed in a gang attack near his surgery, The Sun reports.

He helped move the 15, 16, and 17-year-old teens to a makeshift trauma room, before emergency services arrived.  

England Hockey said they were ‘deeply saddened’ at the news of Grace’s death.

In a short statement on Twitter, they said: ‘Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and our thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, teammates and the whole hockey community at this time.’

Grace had been a member of Woodford Wells Cricket Club in Essex, with the club describing her as ‘fun, friendly and brilliant’.

In a short statement issued on Twitter, the club said: ‘Devastated to hear the news about former Wells Baby Belles captain, Grace Kumar.

‘A fiercely competitive, talented and dedicated cricketer and hockey player.’

Southgate Hockey Club, where Grace played as a member of the under-18s and women’s team, said they were ‘shocked and devastated’ by the news of her death – describing her as a ‘huge talent’.

The club tweeted: ‘It is with profound sadness that we have learned of the death of Grace O’Malley Kumar, a huge talent and much loved member of Southgate U18’s & W1’s.

‘We are shocked and devastated by the news, our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Grace’s family, friends and teammates.’

Barnaby and Grace had been walking home from a celebratory night out when they came across the man. 

The witness told the Times she had spoken to another woman who saw the horror unfold: ‘She said they were walking and got into an argument with this guy.

‘She said the argument got really heated and then the guy stabbed them.

‘You see someone your age and it could have been you. I was there a minute after it happened. No one was there to help.’

The student explained how she had been travelling home in an Uber when the driver was forced to swerve over a body in the road.

Getting out and rushing over to the body, the unnamed witness added: ‘I was the first one there and I could see he wasn’t responding. He was face-up in a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

‘You could see he was covered in stabbed wounds from his neck to his toes.’

Earlier, it was revealed that the family of Barnaby were ‘in bits’ after the sportsman was killed in the rampage.

Speaking outside the family home in Somerset last night, Barnaby Webber’s maternal grandparents Phil and Jenny Robson, who travelled up from their home outside Exeter, Devon, said: ‘We are still unsure what has gone on at the moment.

‘Barnaby’s parents are in bits as you can imagine but they are with officers from Nottinghamshire Police as we speak.

‘We’ve been told not to make any comment until we know more. Perhaps in a day or two we can say more but at the moment we are not allowed.’

Barnaby’s grief-stricken father, David, 51, said only that it ‘wasn’t a good time’ when approached at the family home, before other relatives arrived with flowers. 

It is believed Mr Webber, director of an IT consultancy, called one of his son’s flatmates in Nottingham to inform the fellow students of the tragedy.

Barnaby’s mother Emma is a marketing and brand communications consultant while his younger brother Charlie is also a keen sportsman.

Barnaby was killed alongside England’s under-18s hockey star Grace, also 19, just five minutes’ walk from home in Ilkeston Road, after a night out at around 4am. 

Tributes to the 19-year-old university freshers have begun pouring in, with one friend saying Barnaby would ‘always be loved’. 

Hockey player Grace has been a star for England’s young hockey programme having been selected on a national level for both the under-16s and under-18s squads.

She attended Bancroft’s independent school and was England’s top goal scorer in her age category for the 2018-19 season, newsletters from the school show. 

At university she continued pursuing the sport, helping the Surbiton ladies’ first team to victories in top UK leagues, and was also described as a talented cricket player.

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan paid tribute to Mr Webber, describing him as a ‘young cricketer gone far too soon’.

The cricketer and rugby player attended the £7,890-a-term Taunton school in his home town in Somerset, where family were gathering to comfort each other yesterday.

One friend of Mr Webber paid tribute to him on Instagram alongside a black and white image. She wrote: ‘RIP Barney. You are always loved and got a special place in my heart xx’. 

A second said: ‘You were the light to all my darkness and helped put a smile on my face when no one else could, there are no words for what has happened to you and how much you will be missed.

‘I’m so glad we got to spend the last few hours of your life together and share one more last dance and laugh which will forever be in my heart and never forgotten.

‘You had the purest heart of them all. I will be lost without you and always have a gap in my heart.

‘This still feels like a lie and I’ll forever be waiting for u to walk thru [sic] that door. All your friends and family adored you and we’re all so grateful to have experienced having you in our life.’

Another student told the Times: ‘My friend was his flatmate. They were pretty close, they were more like family.

‘She told me about Barney this morning. She went home after hearing the news. It’s hit her hard.’ 

A young woman from the same halls of residence said: ‘Barnaby was a friend of mine. He was just walking home from a club like we all do they just got unlucky. They were five minutes from home and stabbed by some random guy.’

Barnaby had travelled home from Nottingham only last month to play cricket for a local club, Bishops Hull. He had also turned out for them in an indoor league and was named man of the match in his most recent game on 4 June.

Taunton School newsletters report he was a talented hockey player. He previously celebrated winning the under-14s county championships in 2018, The Sun reports.

The 19-year-old, who also played cricket for Nottingham University, was previously selected by Taunton School in 2020 to feature in ITV West Country’s coverage of the region’s GCSE results. 

Bishops Hull Cricket Club, where Barnaby played, released a statement last night which read: ‘Today we learnt of the death of our dear friend and team mate, Barnaby Webber.

‘Barney was attacked at the early hours of this morning walking home with a friend after a night out on 13/06/2023 and had [sic] lost his life.

‘Webbs’ joined the club back in 2021 and has since then been a key part of our club and made such an impact in such a short space of time. Playing more than 30 games for the club, scoring 622 runs, and taking 29 wickets, his memory will live on.

‘As a club we would like to invite family, friends, club members and members of the village and public who wish to pay their respects and lay some flowers at the club. TA1 5EB.’

A teammate, Jack Wall, added: ‘Rest in Peace Barney Boy. Absolutely gutted that you have been taken away so young. It’s been a pleasure sharing the wicket with you for Bishops Hull Cricket Club. You will never be forgotten mate.’

A second, Dan Chanter, posted a picture of cricket stumps accompanied by a photo of Barnaby and wrote: ‘I really can’t believe what has happened today, we had so many good laughs on and off the field!! You’ll be deeply missed but never forgotten…RIP Barnaby.’

Caroline Tucker of the Old Tauntonians, a group for former Taunton School pupils, wrote on Facebook: ‘Today Taunton School lost one of its newest Alumni.

‘Barnaby Webber was in Marshall (one of the school’s houses) aged 19, at university, and was killed in the Nottingham attacks last night.

‘A wonderful young man with so much to look forward to. Our boys will miss you Barney, we live in an unkind world.’

British tennis player Andy Murray paid tribute to those who had been caught up in the rampage at the Rothesay Nottingham Open, describing the ‘heartbreaking’ situation in the city centre.

Murray, who ate out in Nottingham city centre not far from where the attacks happened, said the incident was ‘way more important than tennis’.

Tournament organisers confirmed there would be a minute’s silence in memory of the three victims ahead of play today.

Counter terror police earlier raided two properties in Nottingham yesterday, with officers saying they are keeping an ‘open mind’ over the attacker’s motive.

Nottinghamshire Police said they are now working alongside counter-terror colleagues to ‘establish the facts’ and determine the motive for the attack. They do not believe anyone else was involved. 

All the victims’ families have been informed and they are being supported by specialist officers. 

Chief Constable Meynell added: ‘I want to thank those who live and work in our city for their patience and understanding in incredibly difficult circumstances. We will, of course, keep the public updated as soon as we are able to say anything further. 

‘This is a very sad day for our city and we will do everything possible for the victims and their families.’

Police were called to the final incident on Milton Street at around 5.30am yesterday, where a van ran into three people who are now being treated in hospital. The man was arrested after being tasered at 5.40am.

Yesterday, the University of Nottingham confirmed two of the dead were students and that a graduation ball scheduled for last night would be cancelled.

‘It is with great sadness that we confirm the sudden and unexpected death of two of our students following a major incident in Nottingham city centre overnight,’ a spokesman said. 

‘We are shocked and devastated by the news and our thoughts are with those affected, their families and friends.

‘We know this is likely to cause distress for staff and students in our community. Support is available through our support and wellbeing services for any of our community who may need it.’

A vigil at Nottingham’s St Peter’s Church, in the city centre, was attended by hundreds of people paying their respects to those who died and those injured.

During the service, attended by mainly young people of university age, those present were invited to place flowers below the altar or light a candle.

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Williams, said the impromptu service was an opportunity to ‘pray for those whose lives have so cruelly taken away’.

The bishop also said the city was ‘in collective shock and disbelief.’

Those attending the vigil included students from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.

Speaking outside the church, a second-year student at the University of Nottingham said: ‘We live fairly close to where, unfortunately, [the two students] were found, so it has properly shook up a lot of people.

‘It’s really scary. It’s so horrible that this has happened.’