The person responsible for leasing out the Croydon FC club house for the party at which Wesley Sterling was murdered has said he was not responsible for security on the night.

The 16-year-old Croydon College student was stabbed in the chest outside a 16th birthday party at Croydon Sports arena in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was killed after a large group of uninvited youths, believed to have links with the Don't Say Nothing (DSN) gang attempted to gain entry to the club house and a fight broke out with some of the guests.

Dickson Gill, the chairman of Croydon FC, said: “That had nothing to do with me, it was the people who booked the party. It is a bad thing that happened.”

The Council said they were checking to see if the event complied with licensing laws and had handed over CCTV footage of the area to the police.

A Croydon Council spokesman said: “The council is saddened to learn of the needless waste of this young life. Until last summer the teenage victim had attended school in the borough and by all accounts was popular with a large group of friends.

“The venue at Croydon Arena where the original gathering took place is owned by the council but leased to Croydon FC.

"We therefore have no direct knowledge of the weekend booking by the football club, nor prior notification.

"We will be checking to establish if the event was held in compliance with the council’s licensing and leasing terms.

“We have already handed over CCTV images to the police from equipment that was recently installed at the arena in partnership with the South Norwood safer neighbourhood team.”

A spokesman from Croydon College said: “Wesley was studying a Level 1 Diploma in Carpentry and was a happy and studious individual and liked by all.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”