Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered his sympathies to the family of a teenager stabbed to death in Old Leigh.

Luke Bellfield, 18, died after he was attacked near The Peterboat pub in High Street on Friday evening.

Tributes have poured in for the youngster, who was described as the "perfect son" by his family.

Several people have been arrested in connection with the murder probe launched by police.

Mr Bellfield’s tragic death was also raised in Parliament today during Prime Minister’s question time.

Southend West MP Southend Sir David Amess asked Boris Johnson what was being done to end “senseless” violence in the wake of Mr Bellfield’s killing.

Sir David said: “Last Friday, my constituent Luke Bellfield, who was aged just 18, was stabbed to death just a few miles from his family home.

“This has been horrendous for his family and his friends who have been left behind.

“My heart goes out to them all.

“What more does my right honourable friend think that the police, society and Parliament can do to make sure that there never will, in the future, be such senseless murders again?”

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Mr Johnson said the Government was aiming to recruit thousands more police officers to tackle violent crime.

He replied: “I sympathise very much with Luke’s family, his friends and there’s nothing I can say to alleviate their loss.

What we are doing is recruiting many more police officers to fight crime, rounding up county lines drug gangs wherever we can and setting out plans to keep serious sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer.”