Detectives are making a direct appeal to the family and friends of a teenage boy who is being treated as a suspect in the murder of Charlie Kutyauripo.

Romford Recorder: Police at the scene near Ashton playing fields where a 16 year old boy was stabbed to death, in Woodford Bridge Essex.Police at the scene near Ashton playing fields where a 16 year old boy was stabbed to death, in Woodford Bridge Essex. (Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Charlie, 16, from Collier Row Lane, Collier Row, was stabbed to death outside a birthday party in Ashton Playing Fields, Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge, on Saturday night.

Aaron Alexander Tavares-Gaiete, also 16, is now a suspect.

He is described as black, five ft 10 in tall and of slim build with facial hair.

Aaron was last seen wearing a dark hooded jacket with a yellow motif on the left sleeve, dark coloured trousers and trainers.

He was also carrying a distinctive black ‘man bag’ with a white Nike logo.

Det Ch Insp Mark Lawson, of the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “I am reaching out to Aaron’s family and friends; we want to trace him and speak to him about what he knows about Charlie’s murder.

“If you know where he is or are in contact with him, now is the time to come forward and speak to us.”

Aaron has not been seen since the murder and Det Ch Insp Lawson appealed directly to his friends.

“If you are helping him by giving him somewhere to stay, lending him money or letting him use your Oyster card please do not stay silent any longer, get in touch with us and help us to find him.

“We understand that some may have concerns with speaking to the police but it is important that they do so and we can offer reassurance and support for those that can assist us with our enquiries.

“Charlie’s family have been left devastated by his death, they want and deserve answers about what happened.”

He concluded by issuing a direct message to Aaron: “While you have the opportunity please get in touch with us or come into a police station. We need to talk to you.”

Charlie’s family also released a statement: “We hope that if anybody knows anything, they should come forward and help find whoever did this because to the world he was just a 16-year-old boy, but to us, that was our son taken.”

Emergency services were called at around 9.40pm to Ashton Playing Fields on Saturday.

A confrontation had begun outside the club resulting in the victim being stabbed. The suspect then ran away in the direction of Woodford.

Officers attended the scene and Charlie was taken by ambulance to Whipps Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10.45pm.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.

There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries continue.

Anyone with any information or knows of Aaron Alexander Tavares-Gaiete’s whereabouts are asked to contact the incident room on 020 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.