Two men have been charged with the murder of an 18-year-old man of Tamil origin from Stanmore who was attacked and dumped in a river.

Prathebal Kunasekarm, 22, who is unemployed and from Barkingside, is charged with the murder of Kishokumar Balachandiran and with kidnapping him and another man, Jaydee Rumapathy. He is also accused of assaulting Mr Rumapathy and causing him actual bodily harm.

Abirajan Tharmakulasingham, 23, who is also unemployed and from Barkingside, is facing the same charges.

A third man, Thileepan Ananthakumarasamy, a 23-year-old shopworker from Barkingside, has also been charged with kidnapping Mr Rumapathy and causing him actual bodily harm.

They all appeared at Redbridge Magistrates Court on Thursday.