DETECTIVES hunting the killer of a teenager have made six new arrests.

Those arrested - an 18-year-old, a 16-year-old and three 15-year-olds from the Sydenham area and a 17-year-old from the Penge area - are being questioned over the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Ben Hitchcock, in Southend Road, Beckenham, last June. They are all male.

The latest arrests happened in the Sydenham area of south east London this morning.

To date, all the young witnesses to the crime have had to be arrested or persuaded to talk to police, even though some of them considered Ben their friend.

Ben, who lived in Penge, was a pupil at Kelsey Park Sports College, Beckenham.

Several other youths arrested during the course of the investigation remain on bail.