A well-known local ice-cream van man has died after being stabbed in Wembley, north-west London. The victim, identified as 41-year-old Shazad Khan, was found with stab wounds in Monks Park on Tuesday evening and died at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called at around 18:10 BST and launched an immediate investigation. A 31-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. A second suspect, a 26-year-old man, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday. Both remain in custody.
Shazad Khan was known in the area for his ice-cream van, which had become a familiar sight in Monks Park over the past year. Local resident Asim Mahmood Butt, 39, who lives on nearby Tokyngton Avenue and was a childhood friend of the victim, said: “He’s a famous ice-cream guy. We all grew up here – cricket, football – and he started selling ice-cream just about a year ago.”
Mr Khan’s van, recognised locally for displaying a large teddy bear, was towed away by police in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A blue forensics tent was later erected at the scene, and several Met officers remained at the location as part of the ongoing investigation. Police also removed a separate white van and a blue car from the area.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said: “Our thoughts remain with Shazad’s family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time. This incident will rightly cause concern across the community, but intelligence at this stage leads us to believe there is no wider threat to the public.”
He urged anyone with information to come forward and said there would be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days.
The Metropolitan Police initially reported Mr Khan’s age as 38 but have since confirmed he was 41.