Floral tributes left at scene of fatal Bristol stabbing

"At a time when our community faces challenges, it is more important than ever to come together, reaffirm our values, and strengthen the bonds that unite us."

Floral tributes have been left at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Bristol's Stapleton Road as the community came together today for a United Peace March organised by a local mosque. A 25-year-old man died after being stabbed on Friday, September 20 at around 5.40pm.

Extensive searches of the east Bristol area were carried out to locate the offender by uniformed officers, with assistance from the National Police Air Service. These efforts subsequently led to an arrest of a man in the Eastville area at about 5.45pm on Saturday, September 21.

Officers also arrested two women, aged 36 and 47, on suspicion of assisting an offender and they remain in custody. A man who was arrested on suspicion of the same offence on Friday has been released with no further action.

Easton Jamia Masjid began the United Peace March from St Marks Road at 2pm this afternoon to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, with Muslims and Christians praying together at the site of the stabbing. Green Party Councillor Abdul Malik, Chair of Easton Jamia Masjid, said: "This peace march is not only a celebration of our Prophet's life but also a declaration of our commitment to peace and unity.

"At a time when our community faces challenges, it is more important than ever to come together, reaffirm our values, and strengthen the bonds that unite us."

Detective Inspector Mark Newbury, senior investigating officer, said: “The arrest of a man this afternoon on suspicion of murder marks a significant development in our investigation.

“He is in custody and will be interviewed by detectives from our Major Crime Investigation Team in due course.

“We are in contact with close friends of the man who died and have updated them this evening of this news and continue to offer them support.

“Stapleton Road was reopened this afternoon following the conclusion of our inquiries at the scene and we are grateful for the public’s understanding while that necessary work was undertaken.

“The community can continue to expect to see an increased high-visibility police presence over the next few days as we look to help anyone who has concerns following this tragic incident.”

Anyone with footage showing the incident, or witnessed what happened, is asked to call 101 and quote reference number 5224248976.