Tamil community members from Mitcham and Thornton Heath said they were “living in fear” in the days following the killing of a young father at a child’s birthday party.

Akilankumar Kanthasamy, a 28-year-old Sri Lankan immigrant from Harrow, was stabbed in the heart at about 11.30pm on Saturday night, at the New Horizon Centre, a community centre in South Lodge Avenue, Mitcham.

On Thursday night, Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh chaired a meeting for Tamil community members to address their specific concerns following the stabbing.

Merton Councillor Logie Lohendran, who represents Cannon Hill ward but is the borough’s only elected Tamil member, said ordinary members of his ethnic group were expecting more protection from the police.

Coun Lohendran, who helped to interpret Tamil into English during the meeting, said: “It was really clear to me from what people told me is that there is a problem in Pollards Hill.

“People don’t feel safe and they don’t feel the police is providing a strong presence.

“You have many Tamils who have fled Sri Lanka and are used to hearing about inter-Tamil gangs, but this incident has really showed me that people are living in fear in Pollards Hill."

Ms McDonagh told about 40 Tamil residents attending the meeting that she planned to hold a Pollards Hill summit in the coming weeks in which the police, Merton Council and other agencies would be invited to attend and discuss community safety issues.

One Tamil shopkeeper told Ms McDonagh: "The law is too soft on these people. You need to change things in the Parliament.

"If you need to us to make a petition, we will get thousands of signatures - no problem."

Police told residents at the meeting that they believed Mr Kanthasamy had been "in the wrong place and at the wrong time" when he was fatally stabbed a week ago.

A former next door neighbour of Mr Kanthasamy, Don Anthony, described the 28-year-old dad as a very mature and peaceful man.

Don Anthony, from Stanmore in north-west London, said: "I was devastated when I read about the news. He was very intelligent and we used to talk about politics over dinner.

"I am Singalese and he was Tamil and we used to talk about the war [in Sri Lanka]. But he was never a violent guy and we would never end an argument on bad terms."

Any witnesses, or anyone with any information about this tragic incident, should call the Incident Room on 020 8721 4906 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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