Eleven men have been arrested after a dying man staggered into the lobby of a central London hotel after being stabbed, police have revealed.
The knife victim died less than an hour after he was discovered on the reception floor of The Wesley hotel in Euston Street last night (Mon).
Guests at the hotel saw the police tape but knew nothing of the murder until this morning.
Details of the victim are yet to be released.
The injured man was found in the hotel, a tall brick building, just minutes away from Euston Tube station at 10.44pm.
The quiet side street remains cordoned off this morning (Tues) and police officers are stopping people leaving the area for questioning and to make notes.
Laura Collins, 34, and colleague Jemma Threapleton, 33, were staying in the hotel.
The nurses from Manchester were visiting the capital for a training course and said the tragedy has left them feeling “nervous and scared”.
Laura said: “I was out for dinner and drinks with a friend and we came back just after midnight.
“We saw the police cordon and obviously asked what was going on.
“A police officer said someone was attacked and we weren’t allowed in for around 15 minutes – it was freezing.
“There was no receptionist, only a security guard inside and we were told to keep to the left.
“There was a girl there who looked upset and I think the hotel workers might not have been there because they were too upset too.
“I’ve been to London a couple of times and it has made me feel nervous, it was quite scary.
“You hear about shootings and stabbings in the news so I guessed something like that happened when I saw the police tape.”
Colleague, Jemma, added: “I was asleep in a room on the ground floor and could hear some noise.
“I was wondering what was going on but there wasn’t too much of a commotion.
“No one in the hotel said anything, at breakfast or at reception.
“We didn’t know what really happened until we saw the news this morning.”
Police are yet to release the name and age of the knife victim.
A spokesman said: “Enquiries have established that the male entered the lobby of the hotel from the street and then collapsed.
“Staff at the hotel immediately came to his aid, contacting the emergency services.
“Urgent enquiries are currently taking place to identify the victim and inform his next of kin.
“A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.
“The Homicide and Major Crime Command have been informed.
“Eleven people have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are in custody at separate London police stations.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
By Isabel Dobinson
