The 26-year-old man stabbed to death in Kingsland Road was attacked after trying to break up a fight outside a bar in Shoreditch, it has emerged.

The “peacemaker” has been named by police as Zakaria Bukar Sharif Ali, despite formal identification not having yet taken place.

Zakaria was attacked between 6.13am and 6.30am on Saturday morning as he left the Rolling Stock bar in Cottons Gardens.

Police, medics and the air ambulance were called to the scene, at the junction of Kingsland Road with Waterson Street, at 6.30am, and he was taken to hospital in critical condition - but died two hours later.

Det Insp Rita Tierney, who is leading the investigation, said: “Zakaria was attacked following a night out. After leaving the Rolling Stock bar he tried to intervene in an altercation taking place outside. “He was attempting to calm the incident and was stabbed as a result.”

Police are now keen to identify two suspects.

The first is an olive skinned male, of Mediterranean appearance, aged in his 20s, about 5ft 10ins of stocky build with short dark hair.

The second is a white man, about 6ft tall, of heavy build, with fair-ginger hair and a fluffy beard.

Det Insp Tierney added: “This is a busy and popular area of London. I know that there are people who witnessed the incident or have information concerning the identity of the suspects. I urge those people to call the incident room without delay.

“My officers are currently reviewing CCTV and forensic enquiries are underway, but we need help from the public to fill in the gaps – what was the sequence of events that began with a night out and ended in Zakaria’s tragic death?”

On Saturday the junction of Kingsland Road with Old Street was taped off, as well as further up the road at the junction with Waterson Street.

Later in the day forensic teams were searching the former Shoreditch Library further up the road still, which is now a block of flats.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 8345 3865 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.