The 16-year-old who died in hospital last night after being stabbed on a Highbury bus on his birthday has been named as Derek Boateng.

Friends have paid tribute to a beloved boy “always smiling, always making jokes”, who was stabbed on a singler-decker 393 next to Highbury Grove School.

Detectives today launched a murder investigation after the teenager, from Hackney, was stabbed on the bus in Highbury New Park.

He was airlifted to hospital on Tuesday when he turned 16 but died last night after losing his battle with his wounds.

A 15-year-old continues to be held on suspicion of attempted murder at a north Lodnon police station. A post-mortem is being scheduled.

Twitter was awash with tributes last night and this morning after some of those closest to the tragic teen learnt of the news.

User @shanflockavelli posted: “Seeing my close friend on life support. do you know how much that hurts?

“I held his hand just 10 mins ago. derek, please I don’t want to believe this”

They added: “It’s hard to believe such a thing has happened. Derek was always smiling, always making jokes.. he never deserved this”

Twitter user @OfficialTape said: “Rest In Perfect Peace My Brother Derek Boateng”

Another user, posting under the name @EmanSam_, said: “This guy was family before even primary school. R.I.P Derek Boateng”

Also posted under username @RizzyRealRap was: “R.I.P to little Derek, always had that cheeky little grin on his face... My prayers go out to his family”

Reports were initially mixed as to whether the victim attended Highbury Grove School, but it is now thought he attended Regent’s Vocational College in Hackney, but was a former pupil at Highbury Grove.

Police are appealing for witnesses of the attack shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, which it is thought may have came following an altercation.

Onlookers spoke of their horror as they watched paramedics attempt to give the teenager life-saving treatment for several minutes on the single deck bus, which performed an emergency stop near the school where the air ambulance landed.

Joseph Smith, who also lives on the Spring Gardens Estate, said: “All I saw was them reviving somebody in the bus, giving them CPR for about 30 minutes, pumping up and down on their chest.

“Police were working on him before paramedics got there.

“They were working on him for ages. I was thinking maybe he died the way they were working on him. It looked like he was losing his fight. It was shocking, just shocking.”

Another resident described seeing blood pouring onto the street from a stretcher which took the teen from the bus to the air ambulance.

Witnesses can call police on 020 8345 3734 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.