A distraught family have issued a desperate plea for witnesses after their son was the victim of a fatal carjacking exactly a year ago today.

In a tearful interview with the Recorder, they said they wanted anyone who may have seen anything on the night Harjinder Singh Bhurji was stabbed in the heart by a masked man, to come forward.

The family visit Stoneleigh Road, Clayhall every month to place flowers on the spot where the 32-year-old was killed for his car.

His mother Manvinder Bhurji, said: “My husband has had nightmares ever since, he’s just shouting ‘run Raj’ and says he sees someone running after him stabbing him. They will get caught one day – we are still hopeful.”

Harjinder was sitting in his car at about 1am talking to a female friend when police believe, a masked man dragged the woman out of the passenger door and demanded the keys to the black Mercedes CLK coupe.

Before Harjinder retrieved them he was stabbed in the heart and, despite his injuries, gave the keys to the man who then drove the car to Chigwell where it was abandoned.

Mrs Bhurji, of Highbury Gardens, Ilford, said: “He wanted to get married, he was close to me. He was quiet but when he spoke he said something important. When he wanted to joke he was a good laugh as well.”

His mother, who still struggles to talk about her son, writes him a poem each month which she posts onto Harjinder’s tribute Facebook page.

Harjinder had attended his sister Rasvinder Johal’s wedding two weeks before he was killed.

Mrs Johal, 30, said: “If anyone saw anything or heard anything please come forward, even if it’s small. Someone must have seen something. It’s unbelievable, someone took a life for something they just left. The intention was to kill him.”

Harjinder was attending a birthday party of his friend’s son in Stonleigh Road before he left at about 10.00pm to pick up a friend from South Woodford. They visited the Toby Carvery in Hollybush Hill, Snaresbrook and the BP Petrol station near Newbury Park Tube station, Eastern Avenue Newbury Park. They then returned to Stoneleigh Road.

Anyone with information, or who saw Harjinder’s car registration R4 JXW, should call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.