A teenager murdered in south-east London the day after his 16th birthday was killed in an unprovoked attack after he refused to take part in a fight, police have revealed.
A manhunt is under way to track the killer responsible for cutting "gentle giant" Jimmy Mizen's neck with glass following a row as he went to buy a Lottery ticket with his brother.
Jimmy was near his home in the Three Cooks bakery in Lee when a yo
uth challenged him to a fight at about 11.50am on Saturday.
After devout Catholic Jimmy declined to fight, the attacker smashed down the bakery door and picked up an advertising board which he wielded inside.
Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons, senior investigating officer, said a fight broke out during which Jimmy sustained fatal injuries to his neck.
He died at the scene in front of his brother and became the 13th teenager to be murdered in London so far this year.
Mr Lyons said the attack on Jimmy - a 6ft 4in member of Sidcup Rugby Club who was described as of "immaculate character" - was not gang or knife-related.
Earlier, about 250 people were left with standing room only for Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Lee, where Jimmy had been an altar boy as a child and had been baptised.
Many of the congregation were in tears after a two-minute silence was held at the service, which was attended by Jimmy's parents, Barry, 56, and Margaret, 55, and other relatives and friends.
One of the altar boys at the Mass was Jimmy's eight-year-old brother George. Jimmy's other brothers included Danny, 30, Billy, 28, Tommy, 26, Bobby, 24, and Harry, 18, and his two sisters were Joanne, 35, and Samantha, 21.
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