Police have released the name of the victim murdered in a "frenzied" drug-related attack in Basildon.

The 26-year-old was set upon by a gang of men wielding various weapons at a home in Cranes Court, off Cranes Farm Road, Basildon.

An Essex Police spokesman has identified the victim as Omar Locke, an unemployed man from Tottenham in north London.

Police believe he was stabbed in the arm, ankle and buttock before staggering to a car where he was driven to London by two friends.

They were not aware of his life-threatening buttock wound, which slashed a subsidiary artery, as they drove him to London.

Then they were horrified to discover their pal unconscious in the back of the car. He was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, but pronounced dead on arrival.

A police spokesman said: "The wound didn't pump out blood so the friends thought everything was fine.

"From speaking to them and another witness we now know that the attack happened in Cranes Court and he was attacked by a group of people.

"We don't know how many but it was a fairly large armed group - we're not talking one or two people.

"We believe the victim was visiting Basildon for drug-related matters."

Police were yesterday continuing house-to-house inquiries in the area in an attempt to trace witnesses.

The spokesman said: "There would have been a lot of activity during this frenzied attack, between about 10pm on Monday and 2am yesterday, and a lot of people with weapons.

"There was also possibly the removal of items - we don't know whether they were weapons or furniture - from a property."

Any witnesses are asked to call Basildon police station, where an incident room has been set up, on 01268 532212

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