TRIBUTES have been paid to a kind-hearted restaurant worker who was stabbed to death late yesterday afternoon.

At least ten police cars swarmed to the scene in Basildon town centre shortly after 5.30pm after reports that a man was seriously injured outside Iceland in Market Pavement.

The air ambulance landed at the nearby Basildon bus station to airlift him to hospital, where he later died.

He has been named locally as 37-year-old Daniel Mitchell-Monroe, who lived in Vange and worked at the Langdon Hills Harvester.

A spokesman for Harvester said he was a highly-valued member of the team.

She said: "Daniel was very well thought of and a valued member of the Harvester team in Langdon Hills.

"He was very hard-working and such a kind and caring man.

"He will be very sadly missed."

Police have arrested a 22-year-old man, from Basildon, near to the scene. He remains in police custody.

Paramedics tried to revive the injured man by administering CPR and an oxygen mask.

Eye-witnesses at the scene reported that there had been an argument before the stabbing.

A 23-year-old veterinary nurse, who works in Basildon and was about to get a bus home, said she became aware of the attack after she heard a blood-curdling scream.

She said: “I was coming through the bus station and I heard a lot of shouting as if some people were arguing.

“Then I heard this girl screaming. I just thought it was the usual kind of shouting and arguing until I heard this particular scream.

“I thought something’s not right. She was like screaming and crying at the same time.

“I looked over and this guy was on the floor and this girl was near him, but she wasn’t allowed to get close to him.”

She said that both unmarked and marked police cars flocked to the scene within minutes.

She said: “I saw the paramedics trying to resuscitate him, they were pounding on his chest for ages.

“At that point the police were cordoning the scene off and asking people to leave.

“Lots of people were screaming and crying, it got very emotional.”

A passerby, who did not want to be named, also said he heard a woman screaming.

He said: “I heard some screaming from a girl and then some crying.

“We went to look and there was a man lying on the floor.

“There was a girl sobbing and saying ‘please don’t leave me’.

“He was trying to hold onto life, you could see it.”

Ole Ayoola, a market stall holder, added: “We usually have music on in the shop so we didn’t hear anything until we heard the sirens.

“This is the first time I have seen anything like this.

“It is usually quiet around here.”

It is understood that the Essex Police helicopter was scrambled to search for somebody following the incident.

An Essex Police spokesman confirmed last night: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man found injured in Basildon.

“Officers were called to Market Pavement yesterday following reports of a young man found with stab wounds.

“Ambulance crews attended and the man was soon airlifted to hospital where he sadly died.

“A 22-year-old man was arrested by officers near the scene shortly after and is currently being questioned by detectives.”

Anybody with any information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101 or alternatively Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

  • Read the original story from the Basildon Echo here.