A 17-YEAR-old girl was found dead in a playground after being stabbed by a knifeman in Romford who allegedly ran off leaving the blade in her back.

Police were called to a park after reports of a knife attack close to St Neot's Road in Harold Hill, east London, at 9.25pm on Friday.

Cops found the teenager suffering with a stab injury before she was pronounced dead just before 10.30pm.

The girl's next of kin have been informed but officers say they are awaiting formal identification.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course, detectives say.

Neighbours claim that two men stabbed the girl before running off - and even left the blade in her back.

Teresa Farenden, 49, whose house faces onto the park, described hearing screams for help before racing to give first aid.

The mum-of-three said: "The knife blade was still in her, but I didn't see it because it was dark.

"I didn't realise at the time, but then all I kept thinking once the police told me was 'have I put the knife in further by giving her compressions?'"

She added: "It was horrific, it was just the blood. There must've been two pints of blood. There was so much of it.

"The girl was moaning, but she was mostly silent. We checked her pulse and we could hear her breathing."

Teresa says she was in the kitchen when she heard her son call: "Mum, somebody is shouting 'help' from the park."

She said: "I never thought in a million years that I was coming out to a murder and that I would be walking out to a young lady who had been stabbed.

"I was trying to do my coat up in the drive and I shouted out 'is everything okay?' as I was worried it could be kids drinking.

"Then a boy said 'no I need help, my girlfriend has been stabbed' and I just flew over there in my flip flops."

DESPERATE BATTLE
Teresa found the victim laying on her back in the corner of the park beside her boyfriend before putting her in the recovery position and administering CPR.

Teresa said: "People are scared to help, but all I was thinking with my mother's instinct was 'I need to help'.

"Her boyfriend did everything he could. When I came over she was on her back so I moved her onto her side.

"Then the boyfriend's friend came over with some kitchen roll.

"Then there was another girl and a man came over in a van to help and took his coat off to keep it on the wound and keep it compressed as much as they could.

"Just as the ambulance crew turned up, she had gone. It was devastating."

The brave resident said it is the first time in the 16 years she has lived by the park that "anything like this has happened" and said she "hopes it is also the last."

Scotland Yard said there have been no arrests and detectives continue to investigate.

It's the 18th brutal murder of the year so far as the capital is gripped by a knife crime epidemic.

Earlier this week a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death outside Ilford train station.

London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: "Devastated by the fatal stabbing of a 17 year-old girl in Havering.

"My thoughts are with her loved ones.

"It fills me with anger that violent criminals are targeting young Londoners with their whole lives before them.

"I encourage anyone with information to contact the police."

Anyone with information is asked to call 020 8345 3775 or tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.