Nurses from a nearby GP surgery joined paramedics as they tried desperately to save the life of Mustafa Momand who was stabbed in Queen’s Street, Brighton, at around 5pm.

Dozens of emergency vehicles sped through the streets as confused commuters heading for the railway station were ushered to an alternative route along Frederick Street.

Police were standing at the bottom of nearby Guildford Road redirecting cars while drinkers outside pubs and passersby quizzed officers about what had happened.

Emergency services at the scene just after the incident began (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

A short while later the injured boy was taken to hospital and those tending to him were stood down, having done all they could to help him.

What followed was hours of work from police officers carrying out enquiries amid a tense atmosphere as the city tried to piece together what was happening.

Lana Fern, 30, a tattoo artist who works in Brighton said: “My boyfriend came back from work last night and walked past and saw a crowd surrounding a body on the ground.

“He didn’t really know what happened other than a body and blood on the floor.

“It’s horrible to think that this happened. I always think of Brighton as such a safe place.

A major operation got underway (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

“It’s hard not to feel hopeless even as an adult with a relatively settled life. I can’t imagine being a teenager right now and thinking ‘what am I going to do growing up in this country?’.”

People making their way down the main street from the railway station were taken aback by the sight of the major police presence and the black incident tent on the pavement.

Some stood outside pubs and shops in Queen’s Road, looking in stunned horror at the harrowing scene.

“How am I supposed to feel safe in this city?” one person was overheard saying.

Many roads were closed off (Image: The Argus)

Another said: “It’s very sad indeed to see. It’s a lovely place but a real tragedy. It’s not what you expect to see when getting off the train.

“I’m very disturbed by what is happening.

“There is a sense of hopelessness about the future which is driving this. We need a vision for the future to give people a real hope for the future.”

Speculation began to swirl as the evening went on until at 10pm police broke the news that Mustafa had died and the incident became a murder investigation.

Investigators worked throughout the night (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

Withing hours a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was in custody and still being questioned by police yesterday.

Forensic officers arrived in Queen's Road as darkness fell and were seen meticulously searching the area for evidence.

Yesterday morning a second police cordon was set up around the front garden of a house in Rose Hill Terrace, a few minutes' walk from Queen's Road.

It was not clear what part the new scene played in the story however police confirmed the two locations were linked.

Flowers left at the scene in Queen's Road (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

READ MORE: Brighton MPs express sorrow after teenager stabbed to death

By Friday afternoon a solemn feeling and a single bouquet of red roses greeted those walking near the scene.

The cordon in Rose Hill Terrace (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

However it was the stench of a senseless loss of life that hung heaviest in the air.

Police will be in the city centre across the weekend as they continue to investigate the tragedy.