A prayer vigil will be held tonight just yards from where a man died after he was found with what is believed to be a stab wound yesterday.

The South Harrow community say they are ready to “unite against knife crime” after a man in his mid-40s was found injured in Northolt Road at 3.15pm.

He was pronounced dead at 3.50pm.

Police say they have not launched a murder investigation and are currently treating his death as “unexplained”.

Scotland Yard said they arrested a male nearby on suspicion of murder after officers were told he had been seen running from the scene in Northolt Road in possession of a machete.

He remains in custody at a north London police station as detectives investigate whether the weapon was used.

A post-mortem examination will confirm whether the wounds were recent or pre-existing, the force said.

Officers remain on the scene and will be trawling through CCTV footage to find out what happened.

At 6pm today, a vigil will be held at South Harrow Baptist Church and people are invited to come along and bring candles.

Michelle Johnson, who has helped organise the vigil, said: “Bring candles and be united in prayer as a community. This has completely shocked everyone and we are all in horror. After what happened in Pinner, my heart ached.

“Someone has died and we need to unite against knife crime.”

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old girl suffered superficial cuts and a boy, also aged 15, sustained stab injuries after they were attacked by a group in a park in Harrow last night in an unconnected incident, police said.

They were both taken to hospital, where their conditions are said to be not life-threatening, after being assaulted in Harrow Recreation Ground.

Officers, who were called at around 9.20pm, are investigating and no arrests have been made.