A MAN has been charged with the murder of a 37-year-old who was stabbed to death in Basildon town centre.

Daniel Mitchell-Monroe, from Pitsea, was fatally injured in Market Pavement at about 5.30pm yesterday.

He died at the scene.

A post mortem examination has given the cause of his death as stab wounds to the chest.

Joram Bakumanya, 22, unemployed, of no fixed address, was charged tonight with murder.

He is due to appear at Basildon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Thursday).

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Al Pitcher, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "The incident happened in a busy area of Basildon town centre and there would have been a lot of people in the area of Market Pavement at the time.

"We continue to appeal for anyone who saw what happened or has any information to please contact us.”

Call Essex Police on 101 or email scdappeals @essex.pnn.police.uk

Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

TRIBUTES TO 'KIND AND CARING' DANIEL

TRIBUTES have been paid to a kind-hearted restaurant worker who was stabbed to death in Basildon town centre late yesterday afternoon.

At least ten police cars swarmed to the scene shortly after 5.30pm after reports that a man was seriously injured outside Iceland in Market Pavement.

The air ambulance landed at the nearby Basildon bus station to airlift him to hospital, where he later died.

He has been named locally as 37-year-old Daniel Mitchell-Monroe, who lived in Vange and worked at the Langdon Hills Harvester.

A spokesman for Harvester said he was a highly-valued member of the team.

She said: "Daniel was very well thought of and a valued member of the Harvester team in Langdon Hills.

"He was very hard-working and such a kind and caring man.

"He will be very sadly missed."

Paramedics tried to revive the injured man by administering CPR and an oxygen mask.

Eye-witnesses at the scene reported that there had been an argument before the stabbing.

A 23-year-old veterinary nurse, who works in Basildon and was about to get a bus home, said she became aware of the attack after she heard a blood-curdling scream.

She said: “I was coming through the bus station and I heard a lot of shouting as if some people were arguing.

“Then I heard this girl screaming. I just thought it was the usual kind of shouting and arguing until I heard this particular scream.

“I thought something’s not right. She was like screaming and crying at the same time.

“I looked over and this guy was on the floor and this girl was near him, but she wasn’t allowed to get close to him.”

She said that both unmarked and marked police cars flocked to the scene within minutes.

She said: “I saw the paramedics trying to resuscitate him, they were pounding on his chest for ages.

“At that point the police were cordoning the scene off and asking people to leave.

“Lots of people were screaming and crying, it got very emotional.”

A passerby, who did not want to be named, also said he heard a woman screaming.

He said: “I heard some screaming from a girl and then some crying.

“We went to look and there was a man lying on the floor.

“There was a girl sobbing and saying ‘please don’t leave me’.

“He was trying to hold onto life, you could see it.”

Ole Ayoola, a market stall holder, added: “We usually have music on in the shop so we didn’t hear anything until we heard the sirens.

“This is the first time I have seen anything like this.

“It is usually quiet around here.”