Man Arrested In Connection With Stabbing Death Of Florist Who Was "Loved By Everybody"

A 21-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing a florist to death in broad daylight in front of his stall in north London.

Tony Eastlake, 55, who worked at a flower stall at the Essex Road in Islington ever since he was aged 14, was killed Friday. Paramedics worked to save his life but he died at the scene, Sky News reported.

Detectives from the Scotland Yard believed the suspect was previously known to the victim and that the murder was not the result of a robbery, The Guardian reported.

However, cops didn't identify the suspect then. More details on the stabbing were also not released.

The Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall said the arrest will bring some relief to the community that is mourning the "well-loved and respected man." "Our dedicated team of officers have worked tirelessly since Saturday evening to identify the person suspected of the murder of Tony Eastlake. I hope this brings some reassurance to the community after what was an incredibly traumatic and unsettling incident that has cost the life of a well-loved and respected man," The Guardian quoted Tunstall, as saying.

Dozens of people took part in a vigil held in memory of Eastlake on Monday, releasing blue balloons near the stall where he worked for four decades and singing "there's only one Tony Eastlake."

Eastlake’s family described him as a "very special man" and a "smiling and friendly face for so many of us." They said they had received a barrage of messages of support following Eastlake’s death. "A man who was loved by everybody in the Islington community, who is remembered as kind and caring, and always laughing, but most importantly a father who leaves behind a devastated family, Lisa, Pauline and his only daughter and best friend, Paige, who he adored," The Guardian reported, citing a statement by the victim’s family.

"It was not only my dad, it was my twin, it was my best friend and this is what’s going to get me through this — all of you here today. I’m speechless so thank you all," Paige, Eastlake’s daughter, told The Times.