Tashan Daniel: Hundreds attend emotional vigil for aspiring athlete stabbed to death at Hillingdon station

Katy Clifton27 September 2019
WEST END FINAL

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Hundreds of people have attended a vigil to pay tribute to an aspiring athlete stabbed to death at a London Underground station.

Tashan Daniel, who celebrated his 20th birthday at the weekend, was killed at Hillingdon station as he made his way to an Arsenal match on Tuesday.

The young 200m sprinter and football fan was given the Arsenal tickets as a present.

On Thursday night, hundreds of people attended a vigil and laid floral tributes as his father Chandima Daniel paid tribute, saying he is "so proud" of his son.

A vigil outside Hillingdon Station
NIGEL HOWARD ©

During a prayer, Mr Daniel lifted a photo of his son in the air.

Tashan Daniel, 20, was travelling to an Arsenal match when he was killed
Family collect

"It's about bringing the community together and stopping this nonsense," he told tearful crowds. "This is an amazing turnout, it really is, I don't know what to say really."

Tashan's father Chandima Daniel
NIGEL HOWARD ©

"I'm still in a state of shock about what happened, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment," he added.

"I'm hearing wonderful things about my son, a great, great person, but I'm hearing on a daily basis amazing things about him. I am so proud to be his father."

Floral tributes laid during a vigil outside Hillingdon Station
NIGEL HOWARD ©

Mr Daniel urged the crowds of people to hug each other at the vigil held at Hillingdon station on Thursday evening.

Earlier in the evening, the large group - who had left floral tributes outside the station - sang Amazing Grace.

Many of the vigil's attendees wore hoodies for Hillingdon Athletics Club, where Tashan trained as a sprinter.

Police said Tashan was with a friend when two other men provoked a fight, during which the 20-year-old was attacked in front of horrified passengers.

Witnesses reported seeing blood and a person performing CPR on the victim as the station was evacuated in the wake of the stabbing.

Members of the public as well as paramedics and police officers tried to save the 20-year-old, but he died on board a Tube carriage.

Family and friends of Tashan Daniel
PA

The suspects ran out of the station towards Auriol Drive and a knife was found nearby.

Boris Johnson offered "heartfelt condolences" to the victim's family following the attack in his constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

It comes as Mr Daniel's coach paid tribute to the 20-year-old, calling him a "perfect human being" who hoped to become a sprinter for Great Britain.

Calling him "hilarious" and praising his humour, former international athlete Josh Swaray began coaching Mr Daniel as part of the Hillingdon Athletics Club in 2018.

Hundreds of people pay their respects at a vigil outside Hillingdon station
PA

"Every time Tashan competed he was running faster times, every single time," Mr Swaray said. "As an athlete that is all we hope for but it doesn't work like that.

"He was just that gifted, he was just that talented. He knew it, I knew it, everyone around us knew. I'd have people come up to me at competitions asking how I got him to do that, because he was just that good."

Chaka Maillet, who trained alongside Mr Daniel, called the 20-year-old's death "chilling".

"We were training with him on Monday and I saw him before he left, we always said bye," he said. "And the next day he's gone, so it's affected us a lot.

"We're talking about Tashan - someone who was not affiliated in any way with all this street nonsense, any violence in London, he's not that kind of person."

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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