FOUR men armed with weapons reported to include a Samurai sword, hammers and axes stabbed a Sri Lankan teenager to death in Wembley at the weekend.

Asan Ratnasegaram, 18, from Wembley, was travelling in a red Alfra Romeo 1.6 coupe on Saturday with three friends. They stopped at traffic lights at the junction of Ealing Road and Carlyon Road, Wembley, at about 1pm. It was reported by police that a car which has only been described as a red Saloon stopped behind them and four men attacked the car with hammers and axes before stabbing Asan in the chest. His two friends drove off to escape the gang.

An ambulance attended the scene and the victim was taken to Central Middlesex Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A post mortem on Sunday at Northwick Park Hospital mortuary gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.

The incident follows a spate of vicious attacks that have occurred in Wembley with young Sri Lankan Tamils. On June 8, a gang struck twice in one hour after driving across London. Partheepan Balasingham, 23, of Wembley, was killed in an apparently unprovoked assault outside the Palm Beach restaurant in Ealing Road, Wembley, at 1am. On the same night, Kishokumar Balachandiran, 18, from Stanmore, was also attacked before being dumped into the River Roding at Wanstead. Both men suffered serious head and neck injuries, they were attacked with weapons such as an axe and a machete. A motive for their attacks has not yet been established. However, on July 3 at Redbridge magistrates two men were charged with the murder of Mr Balachandiran. As the Harrow Times went to press no one has been charged with the murder of Mr Balasingham.

DCI Norman McKinlay said: "We are keeping an open mind at this early stage regarding a motive for this vicious murder. It is also too early to say whether this incident is linked to other incidents involving young Sri Lankan males. Any member of the public who can assist is asked to call police."

Any witnesses should contact the incident room on 020 8247 7821: If you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

At the Time of going to press, three men had been arrested on Wednesday (yesterday) in connection with Asan's murder.

A 22-year- old man from Harrow, a 25-year -old man from Harlesden, and a 19-year- old man from Northolt were all held in custody.