People arrived in their thousands: the crowd stretched down Wellesley Road to pay their respects to Elianne Andam and her family last year

A major road in Croydon town centre was closed from 10am today ahead of a solemn commemoration event to mark the first anniversary of the death of Elianne Andam.

Murder victim: Elianne Andam

The killing of Old Palace schoolgirl Andam, aged 15, made national headlines after she was viciously attacked as she got off a bus outside the Whitgift Centre on her way to school on September 27, 2023.

Croydon Council issued a terse, short-notice announcement about the road closures on social media this morning.

“After police advice, the northbound carriageway of Wellesley Road between Park Lane Gyratory and Poplar Walk will be closed today from 10am to 2pm for an event,” it said.

“Diversions will be in place but please avoid the area if possible and allow more time for your journey.”

A Thornton Heath youth, Hassan Sentamu, 18, has been charged with the murder of Elianne Andam, and is expected to stand trial in November.

Elianne Andam was one of 11 people killed on the streets of Croydon in 2023. Four of the victims were aged 20 or younger.

Read more: ‘Our failure can be read on the headstones of dead youth’
Read more: Croydon in 2023: London’s borough with most murder victims

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