Daniel Herbert

Dan was a Grandson, Son, Nephew, Cousin and a friend to many.

Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him loved him, it was hard not to. He had a smile that would light up a pitch black room and a laugh you could hear a mile away.

Dan absolutely loved life; he was definitely a ‘larger than life’ character. He always managed to find a positive to every situation and had an answer for everything. No one told a story like Dan!!

There was never a dull moment when Dan was around; he was always life and soul to any party. He loved Music more than anyone i’ve ever met; he ate, drank and no doubt even dreamt about it.

Dan wasn’t a hater/gangster he was a lover, a beautiful person both inside and out. Dan never carried a knife or a gun and sadly the world he was strongly against took this wonderful person from us.

Southwark News 17th September 2009:

In the week that another arrest has been made for the murder of Bermondsey lad Daniel Herbert, his grieving mother has told the 'News' she had not realised how many people's lives her son had touched.

The 22-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday and bailed to return in November, which brings the total number of arrests to four, though one of the men, a 27-year-old, was released without charge.

Ann Herbert, 46, said: "My son touched so many people's lives, I didn't even realise. Everyone knew him - even the coroner. He would be on the bus and he would chat to anyone. "I don't know if you know, but he was my only child. You could hear a pin drop in here now. I can't stand the silence.” She added: "I don't understand how someone can be so evil. Bermondsey was the one place I wasn't worried about him, because everyone knew him. How ironic."

A close-friend of Daniel's has also told the 'News' of the heartache he has suffered since the boy he knew as his 'little brother' was beaten senseless and shot in the back of the head.

The 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased down Clement’s Road by five men who attacked him, pulled him to his knees and executed him with a single bullet at around 2am on Monday, August 17.

Martell O'Neill, 29, was keen to say that as far as he knew, his old friend Daniel 'was no gangster.' "That's not really his lifestyle," he said. "You hear about these young people getting killed, but now that it’s happened to someone I know it's different. At a push you might have wanted to slap him. "He knew a lot of people around our area and moved away. He probably never settled, so he was always coming back."

Martell was about fourteen when he first met Daniel on his estate, who had just moved into Sandwich House in Brunel Road, Rotherhithe. Martell said: "He pretty much got on with everyone really, he didn't really have any enemies. We used to hang out, ride our bikes, kids’ stuff you know, get up to mischief. He used to stay over quite a lot because he lived two floors above. "My memories of him are all good. The worst thing they could say about him is that he was a wind-up - he was just a laugh."

Southwark News 24th September 2009
The body of Bermondsey boy Daniel Herbert, beaten to within an inch of his life before being executed with a bullet to the head, has finally been released to his grieving family, after more than a month.

Three men have so far been arrested on suspicion of murdering Daniel. Five men were seen chasing him on the night of his death.

Speaking to the ‘News’, Daniel's 46-year-old mum, Anne, said as far as she knew her son was not a gangster, and she had 'no idea' who her son's killers were or why they had decided to shoot him. "I don't care about the people who have been arrested, because that is not going to bring my son back to me. I want them off the streets, but it won't bring him back," she said.

Anne also said she did not think his death was anything to do with Daniel's work as a Leicester Square night club promoter, but that the reason could be much closer to his old home in Bermondsey. "No, I don't think it's connected to the night club world," she said. "I am totally baffled. I think people [in Bermondsey] are scared now, because of all people, Daniel got killed, and if Daniel can get killed, anyone can." Anne added that the time before he was killed had been 'really good' for her son, as he was decorating his new flat and preparing to move out of the family home for the first time.

The colours Daniel had chosen to paint his new Crystal Palace home - white and yellow - will be the colours of the flowers at his funeral next week. On the night of his death, the 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased to Clement's Road, beaten senseless and then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on Monday, August 17.

There is now an impromptu shrine at the scene of Daniel's death at the junction with St James's Road, for flowers and messages to be left - as despite moving to Orpington he still had many friends in the area.

Southwark News 2nd October 2009:

Bermondsey boy Daniel Herbert was savagely beaten and executed with a single bullet to the head because he would not give up the names of his friends, police have said. But detectives have now told the 'News' the culture of "people not being a grass" is holding up the investigation, and that the community is protecting his killers.

Buried next to his grandmother in Kent yesterday, the 27-year-old nightclub promoter had moved out to Orpington from Bermondsey, but was still well known in the area.

DCI Cliff Lyons said Daniel had been targeted to get at someone else, and that those people were now not returning the loyalty he showed them in the face of death. "I find that upsetting," he said. "Out of the four or five [suspects] there will be some more involved than others, and out of the four or five, perhaps one or two didn't realise it was going to go that far." "I'm not suggesting [Daniel] was a random victim. He was targeted and there was a reason for targeting him. "Daniel was associated with people of some criminality. "He was simply in the area at the wrong time. They took the opportunity to target Daniel.

I tried to comprehend why he was beaten so badly and then shot. From the witness accounts, they tried to beat information out of him - there were words used that add weight to the theory.” He added that Daniel would not give up any names, so the men killed him.

On the night of his death, the 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased to Clement's Road, beaten and then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on Monday, August 17.

Southwark News 8th October 2009:

The mother of murdered man Daniel Herbert has called on friends in Bermondsey to stop protecting her son's killers and reveal their secrets.

Five men chased Ann Herbert's only child through the streets he once called home and brutally beat him for information about a friend, before executing him with a bullet to the head.

So far three men have been arrested and linked to the case, but last week the 'News' revealed the police investigation is now being held up by the culture of "not grassing".

Ann - who only buried her son last week - scolded many of the people he had known in Bermondsey for not doing everything they can to help. She said: "I could only invite a handful of people from Bermondsey, because none of his friends there have helped him. "Their friend died in a really brutal way - I don't understand that those who are meant to be his real friends - they've done nothing. They haven't even rung me or my family - they haven't done anything for Daniel. "That funeral should have been treble the size, but I didn't want a lot of those people there because I know that them lot didn't help Dan. They're ringing round asking people where he's buried. I don't want them near his grave." She added: "Talk is cheap, it's what you do that counts. Bermondsey has done nothing for Daniel."

Daniel was buried at a secret location on Wednesday last week and, even though only a few invites were sent to Bermondsey, there were too many mourners to fit into the church, leaving many straining to hear outside.

On the night of his death, the 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased to Clement's Road, beaten and then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on Monday, August 17.

Update 13th December 2009:

To date, no one has been charged with the murder of Daniel Herbert.
Still the silence of those in the Bermondsey area keep these monsters walking the streets of South East London.

When will the people who know what happend to Dan actually take the time to think about a Mother losing her only child? A bright, wonderful, loving and giving 27 year old man lost his life for crying out loud, What will be enough to make people come forward and tell the truth about what happened on Monday 17th August 2009 in Clements road?

Police are still appealing for witnesses and are keen to hear from anyone who saw the incident develop from Dockley Road, Lucey Road and Lucey Way. Anyone who can help should call the incident room on 020 8721 4961; or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.