Police name ‘much-loved’ 87-year-old man stabbed to death in his mobility scooter

Met officers and paramedics were called at shortly after 4pm on Tuesday to Cayton Road, Greenford, to reports of a stabbing and he was declared dead at the scene.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Wilson said: “I understand that our community will quite rightly be shocked and appalled by this incident, as I am too.

“We are now able to name the man who has tragically lost his life as Mr Thomas O’Halloran, who lived in Greenford and was a very well-known and much-loved member of our community.”

He was attacked while on his way to busk, according to a friend, who did not want to be named.

He told the PA news agency: “He was coming back from Perivale to play his accordion and make some money for his family and he was stabbed to death.”

Mr O’Halloran was said to be known locally for busking outside Greenford Station and was also said to be raising money for war-torn Ukraine.

A man who works in a newsagents outside the station said: “He used to play his accordion here.

“He came every day for a long time, at least two years. He usually busked around five o’clock.”

Another shopkeeper said: “He was often outside the station playing his accordion.”

Frasley Coutinho, who lives in Greenford, west London, opposite where the attack happened, said he saw the victim surrounded by a group of young boys.

He said: “I saw a couple of people gathering around him and then he drove past and stopped further up, and then there was a group of young boys around him.”

So far this year there have been 58 homicides in London.