A man was stabbed to death in broad daylight yesterday in Britain’s prime shopping thoroughfare, Oxford Street, in Central London.

The victim, a 22-year-old member of the public, was attacked on the pavement outside McDonald’s at 4.45pm in front of scores of shoppers and commuters. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him on the pavement before taking him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said: “At this stage we believe the victim was in McDonald’s and then came outside where he was involved in an altercation. We then believe he was stabbed. An open mind is being kept as regards a motive. A post mortem will be carried out at a later date.”

No one had been arrested for the attack.

A spokeswoman for McDonald’s said that none of the restaurant’s staff was involved in the incident. “I know that one member of staff who was actually on their way to work came up and saw the crowd outside the restaurant,” she said. “He has given evidence to the police, but as far as I know no one else saw anything.

“Obviously all members of staff that were on duty at the time of the incident will speak to the police as part of the ongoing investigation.”

One witness, who did not want to be named, said: “I just heard the screaming and then saw a couple of black guys run past us.”

Police cordoned off Oxford Street, causing dozens of buses to be diverted during the evening rush hour.

Ray Lewis, London’s Deputy Mayor for Young People, described the problem of crime as a “rising onslaught” last night. “I think we need to ask ourselves why we are where we are in the first place,” he told Newsnight on BBC Two. “Because this isn’t a blowout, this is a slow leak. This has been an increasing and steadily rising onslaught of lawlessness and abandoned behaviour for a number of years. There are some important questions parents need to ask and answer, but also we as adults and people in leadership positions.”

The stabbing comes after a knife attack on two teenage boys in North London on Sunday night. Police found a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old with stab wounds after a phone call from a member of the public. Both of the boys are being treated in hospital, where their conditions are described as stable. The incident happened at about 7.40pm near Whittington Park, in Holloway.

Emergency services found the 16-year-old youth in Wedmore Street suffering from a stab wound to his back. The second victim was found at the entrance to Whittington Park, at Holloway Road, also suffering from a stab wound to the back.

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