THE father of a 16-year-old boy murdered at a park in Sydenham has said his family are in deep shock.

Nick Pearton was reportedly stabbed and beaten shortly after 6pm last night in Home Park Recreation Ground as he tried to escape up to 10 attackers.

Witnesses said a gang of boys armed with knives, baseball bats and sticks chased him across the park, off Sydenham Road.

The heavily bleeding victim staggered into a fast food shop on the opposite side of a busy road calling for help.

His mother, Kim, who lives nearby, was alerted by his younger brother and ran to the shop.

The boy's father Vince said his family were too shocked to talk about what had happened.

Fighting back tears, he said: "There's nothing I can say, we can't take it in."

One neighbour who had been comforting the Peartons described them as "totally shell-shocked".

She said: "It's been a terrible shock. We are a really tight-knit community. We all know each other. It is just what it has come to these days. No-one can believe what has happened."

One witness said Nick cycled to the park to face members of a rival gang after another confrontation earlier in the week.

The 16-year-old boy said: “There was a fight over something silly. Nick was lying on the floor of the chicken shop bleeding. His mum came out screaming 'my baby boy, my son'. I didn't see him get stabbed, just on the floor.”

A Facebook group has been set up in tribute to the victim with around 500 members.

Formal identification is still to take place and a post-mortem examination will be held later today (May 6).

Six youths aged between 14 and 17 from Sydenham, Bromley and Deptford and a 21-year-old man from Forest Hill have been arrested.

Detectives are appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard a disturbance in and around the recreation ground yesterday (May 5) between 4 and 6.15pm, to contact police on 020 8721 4868 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.