The murder of a man in his twenties who was attacked and beaten by a group of up to five men in Ilford High Road does not appear to be gang-related says a source close to the investigation.
The man, believed to be returning home after a night out, was discovered suffering critical injuries in the early hours of Sunday, November 12.
At the crime scene, forensic officers recovered a bright blue pickaxe handle and two cars, including a silver Mercedes, were seized for forensic examination.
Emergency services rushed to the junction of High Road and Connaught Road at 2.38am but the man later died at a hospital in east London.
The incident is believed to have been caught on council CCTV which alerted the emergency services to the attack.
Inquiries are under way to identify the man and it is believed he lived in Redbridge.
A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.
Det Ch Insp Andrew Packer from the Homicide and Major Crime Command is leading the investigation.
He told the Ilford Recorder: “This was a brutal and prolonged attack on an individual by a group of up to five people.
“Early indications are that this group have attacked the male, inflicting fatal blows with what is believed to be baseball bats.”
It is believed that there were people at the scene who filmed the incident and Mr Packer has appealed for witnesses to get in touch.
He added: “I would like to appeal to anyone in Ilford High Road, near the junction with Connaught Road, at the time of the attack to get in touch and speak with my team.
“This investigation is still at its early stages and it is vital we speak to witnesses and others who have information about what took place but are yet to come forward.
Anyone with footage from the incident should email it to mit24@met.police.uk.
No arrests have been made and inquiries continue.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information should call the Homicide and Major Crime Command on 0208 345 3865, via Twitter @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
You can also tweet information to @MetCC
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